A maiden week-long District Level Handloom Expo commenced in the Iconic Samba Fort, here today. Organised by the Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom, Jammu under the guidance of principal secretary industries and Commerce Prashant Goyal, the Expo was inaugurated by Director Handicrafts and Handloom, Jammu Dr. Vikas Gupta, along with Managing Director Handicrafts and Handloom Corporation Atul Sharma and ADC Samba Rakesh Dubey.
The theme of the expo is “My Handloom My Pride” thus displaying the exquisite art and craft of the Handloom Department of various districts of Jammu Division.
The special district handloom expo has been sponsored by Development Commissioner Handlooms, Ministry of Textiles under National Handloom Development Programme and implemented by Handloom Development Department Samba.
The expo will continue for a week i.e. 5th Jan, 2023 to 11th Jan, 2023.After the formal inaugural ceremony, the Director Handicrafts and Handloom visited the stalls put up by 25 number of cooperative societies of Handloom and Handicraft Department and interacted with people displaying wide range of handloom products like Basohli Pashmina shawls, mufflers, stolls, woolen shawls, cashmilon shawls, blankets, coats and many more.
Speaking on the occasion Director Handicrafts and Handloom Jammu expressed that the expo will give a wide marketing platform to our local weavers and cooperative societies to sell their handmade genuine products directly to the buyers thus enabling them to earn their livelihood.
He also highlighted the endeavors being made by the department to strengthen the handloom and handicrafts sector. He also added that the department is striving hard to get GI tagging of calico printing of samba and its revival for which it is called Sheeton ka sehar.
A special cultural programme was also organized showcasing the culture of Jammu Division. During the event certificates were also distributed among the newly registered cooperative societies and passed out trainees on completion of the training programme.
Sanction letters for Pradhan Mantri Weaver Mudra Yojna were also distributed among the beneficiaries. Assistant Director, Handloom Samba Niharika, urged the general public to pay a visit at the venue of the expo and buy local handloom products in order to strengthen the 'Vocal for Local' campaign thus making this event a great success.
She also appealed to the uncovered weavers to get themselves registered with the department and get benefits of various departmental schemes.