Artisans being pushed to wall : Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami

5 Dariya News

Srinagar 12-Dec-2015

Expressing serious concern over the miserable condition of Handicrafts sector in Jammu and Kashmir and the government apathy towards flood hit artisans, CPI (M) leader and MLA Kulgam Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami has called for an immediate compensation to the families associated with handicrafts sector on account of damages caused to them due to unprecedented floods last year.In a statement to KNS, Tarigami said that thousands of artisans, working in wood carving, making shawls, paper mache products, copper ware and others were hit due to September floods last year and the government did not bother even to assess their losses.“The contribution of these artisans and weavers has always gone unnoticed and ignored in Jammu and Kashmir. But it is much more ironical that the government did not even bother to include these artisans who lost their borrowed stocks in devastating deluge last year,” Tarigami said while asking the administration to go for an immediate assessment of their losses and enlist such flood affected artisans in State Disaster Relief and National Disaster Relief funds respectively. The CPI (M) leader remarked that the handicraft sector which is already struggling for its survival in Kashmir and its existence got a setback due to the September floods. “Business of thousands of artisans was shattered as the industry suffered a loss of Rs 450 crore as per the initial assessment. Not only handicrafts industry was hit but thousands of artisans who are the backbone of this industry and whose livelihood depends on this sector are at the verge of starvation and the government seems least bothered about their plight,” he added. (KNS)