Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Srinagar Mar 22 (KINS): There are 3.5 lakh artisans registered in Jammu and Kashmir and the government has been providing them all possible support.
This has been stated by Director Handicrafts and Handlooms Mehmood A Shah while addressing a function at SKUAST-K on Wednesday.
The ODOP (One District One Product) Invest India, DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Delhi, in collaboration with the Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO), Wednesday organized a nationwide awareness campaign for the initiative in Srinagar and interacted with manufacturers, UT government officials and media persons at SKUAST-K.
“There are 3.5 lakh artisans in J&K. Government has been providing them all possible help to revive the handicrafts sector in J&K. At least 4000 handicrafts societies have been created while Rs 20 crore financial assistance was provided to them by the government last year,” Shah said, according to news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).
He also highlighted the efforts being taken by the Department of Handloom and Handicrafts with special focus given to schemes and initiatives of the Union Territory. He emphasized the increase in push for participation in global exhibitions post COVID, which has played a key role in reviving the economy of J&K.
Officials from Industries Department, JKTPO, Agriculture, Horticulture departments and ODOP sellers and media officials were present on the occasion.
Under the ODOP initiative, 21 products have been identified from 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir. Products like Kani Shawl, Natural Oils (Lavender), Wicker Willow, Basmati Rice, Basholi Pashmina and Saffron were displayed at the event.
Sellers of J&K’s ODOP shared their success stories with the media and spoke about the uniqueness of their craft. Mehek Mihir mentioned her family business of saffron and how with the support of the government departments, her business has grown exponentially. Basith Khan, an entrepreneur of honey, Javed, grower of saffron, Rafiq Ahmed, producer of Kani Shawl, Aditya, businessman- Handicraft, and Tokhir, producer of lavender oil also shared their craft stories at the event.
The ODOP lead conference emphasized that the main objective of the campaign is to create awareness among the public about the unique products available in each district and to encourage their consumption.
Harpreet Singh from team ODOP, Invest India, DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry gave a brief introduction about the initiative. He highlighted the various interventions being undertaken by the Central and State governments to establish a stronger brand for India’s unique products.
Deepangna Singhi from the ODOP team interacted with the sellers from various districts of Jammu and Kashmir and talked about the benefits of the initiative. (KINS)
