Most of the skills are contained within the unit, so they are able to be self-reliant in their production processes. Wages received by the Tara stone workers are significantly more than those earned by other artisans, but the influence of Tara Projects and the new markets it has found for these products has introduced an element of competition - middlemen are now obliged to pay better wages to all stone producers. Pensions for senior craftsmen have been introduced, medical help has been made available, and a campaign has been waged against child labour in the area. There has been concern about the health of stone workers who tend to work in a cloud of dust. The skill of soapstone producers is a very old one - the inlay and filigree work at the Taj Mahal was done by the ancestors of these people.
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