Minister of State for Haj & Auqaf PHE and Irrigation & Flood Control, Power Development, Industries & Commerce, Syed Farooq Ahmad Andrabi has said that steps are afoot to provide better marketing facility to the handicraft and handloom artisans of the state so that they can sell their products easily.This was stated by the Minister during a meeting with senior officers to review the status of implementation of Mega Carpet Cluster Development Scheme in the State.Commissioner Secretary Industries and Commerce, Shailendra Kumar, Director Handicrafts, Director Indian Institute of Carpet Technology Srinagar, Managing Director SICOP, CEO Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB) besides Chairman and Vice Chairman Kashmir Carpet Cluster Development Organization attended the meeting.The meeting was informed that 8000 carpet looms were provided to the weavers and around 8000 youth of the State was imparted training of carpet weaving/skill Development/capacity building under the scheme.
The meeting was also informed that out of the seven components of the scheme only two components were implemented and the scheme was closed by the end of last fiscal.The Minister directed the concerned authorities to take up the matter of extension and sanction of funds under the said Scheme with the concerned Union Ministry, so that Common Facility Center, Export Facility Center, Trade Facility Center, Design Development Service Center and Testing Lab would also be established for improving the quality and design of the carpet and other handicrafts, handloom products in the state.Farooq Andrabi said that government is keen to setup a raw material bank for providing the raw material to the weavers and artisans at ease. He said providing marketing facilities to the artisans and weavers besides manufactures at their door steps is also under active consideration of the government and many steps have already been initiated in this regard. He said a modern concept of marketing would be introduced to facilitate the gross root weaver and artisans.
The Minister asked the concerned authorities that all the weavers and artisans should be registered and their unique id’s should be kept on departmental website for easy online marketing of their products.Andrabi said the government is committed to provide marketing support to the artisans to curtail exploitation of middle men. He said government will bear the burden of interest on loans to the artisans under artisans’ credit card scheme adding that all resources will be mobilized to meet the expectations of the handicraft artisans.The Minister also asked for using locally produced high quality Mulberry silk as raw material for hand knotted silk carpets instead of spun silk yarn being imported from outside the state.“There is need to switch over to new technology and skill upgrade trends to promote carpet industry on the modern lines, which is imperative for sustenance and existence in the present era of innovations and stiff market competition all over the world,” the Minister said.