NABARD, PHD Chamber to jointly conduct baseline survey of artisans

NABARD and Kashmir chapter of PHD Chamber are going to jointly conduct a baseline survey of handicraft and handloom artisans, manufacturers and traders of the valley.

The proposed survey is aimed to make a database of thepeople associated with handicrafts, handloom and carpet sector for its revival,according the draft of the proposal.  

   

The survey of these sectors would be done by PHD Chamber andNABARD in collaboration with allied departments.

As per official records, there are 2.32 lakh artisans inJ&K with majority of them belonging to Kashmir. Most of these artisans arenot registered with the handicrafts making them unable to get any benefits ofgovernment incentives and schemes. 

NABARD and PHD Chamber have also prepared a future roadmapfor development of handicraft and handloom sectors in Kashmir while focusing onmanufacturing, finance and marketing of Kashmir art. 

The common recommendations for framing the road map of thesesectors are to identify craft clusters across the state in wood carving,papiermache, carpets, handloom, copper crafting, shawls, chain stitch, crewel,namdah etc.  As per the revival plan, theschemes and benefits for pashmina, kani shawls needs to be linked with HandloomReservation Act and Restriction under Section 144 Cr. P.C on weaving andproduction of pashmina and kani shawls on power looms.

“There is need of training one lakh such active artisansacross the state each financial year,” says the revival plan.

As per the revival roadmap, handicraft industry will not bein a position to sustain and survive if the earnings of artisans do notincrease proportionately to their hard work and market rate. It says the issuecan only be addressed by encouraging and promoting producer organization in theindustry.

In order to improve productivity and bring in higher levelof registration of artisans with Construction Workers Welfare Board constitutedby the labour department of the state in order to extend certain monetarybenefits to the registered artisans from accumulated corpus fund with the boardraised from the cess collected from constructions, which is around Rs 400 crorepresently.

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