The 8th Edition of National Handloom Day to carry forward the Handloom legacy and to Honor the Handloom Community was celebrated with great fervor today here at Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom, Jawahar Lal Nehru, Udyog Bhawan.
The event was held under the guidance of Additional Chief Secretary, Industries & Commerce, Vivek Bhardwaj. Over 150 artisans, weavers attended the event.
A range of stalls displaying handloom and handicrafts products was the main attraction of the event. Secretary in Industries & Commerce Department, Kusum Badyal presided over the event as the Chief Guest.
Dr. Devansh Yadav, Managing Director, JKTPO; Dr. Vikas Gupta, Director Handicrafts & Handloom Jammu; Atul Sharma, Managing Director, Jammu and Kashmir Handloom and Handicrafts Corporation, Deputy Director Administration Fareed Ahmed Kohli; Deputy Director Trainings, Shavi Sharma; Deputy Director Planning, Megha Boagia; officials of the Weavers Service centre, Jammu and artisans/weavers community graced the event.
The Director Handicrafts & Handloom Jammu highlighted the importance of National Handloom Day and acknowledged the contribution of the weavers' community towards socio economic development.
“The aim of celebrating National Handloom Day is to protect this vast and rich heritage and to empower the weavers and artisans of the sector” he added.
Dr. Vikas Gupta informed that more than 250 cooperatives and nearly 34000 artisans and weavers are registered with the department. He added that the cooperatives registered with the department have become self-reliant and independent entrepreneurs by availing benefit of government schemes being implemented by the Department and more trainees are undergoing skill development training through 200 Handicrafts & handloom training centers.
Elaborating further, he said 2500 loan cases have been sponsored to different Banks under Credit card and Weaver Mudra Scheme for availing credit facility upto Rs. 2 Lakh.
“An amount of Rs 44 Lakh has been disbursed to different Handloom Cooperatives, under the scheme 10 % special rebate on sale of Handloom Cloth and Rs. 27 Lakh under Purchase/moderation of looms” he added.
Also 02 new Handloom Pashmina Clusters, covering 406 weavers have been sanctioned and started under National Handloom Development Programme of Ministry of Textile, GoI.
Later, Appreciation Certificate/ mementos and Weaver Pehchan Cards & Certificates, under Samarth Scheme, were presented to the weavers, artisans.
They were motivated to come forward and avail benefits of the various schemes of the Department and also associate with JKTPO for registration with e-marketing platforms like flipkart, amazon etc.