Lok Sabha Question No. 4738 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-30
Subject: Handicraft Sector
Ministry: TEXTILES
Asked by: RAJESH RANJAN  (PAPPU  YADAV), RANJEET RANJAN

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.4738 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.03.2017

## HANDICRAFT SECTOR

## 4738. SHRI RAJESH RANJAN: SHRIMATI RANJEET RANJAN:

## Will the Minister of TEXTILES वस्त्र मंरी

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the    Government  proposes  to  work  for  the  betterment  of  tribal  people  and  the persons working in the handicraft sector with the cooperation of various Ministries to ensure that the handicrafts/artefacts of tribal people could get a better market;
- (b) if so, the market coverage of the traditional products at present;
- (c) the steps taken to reduce the distance between the markets and the places where traditional products/handicrafts are being produced; and
- (d) the efforts being  made by the Government to encourage traditional textile industry in the country?

## उत्तर

## ANSWER

## वस्त्र      मंरी (श्री         )

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES (SHRI AJAY TAMTA)

- (a): Office  of  the  Development  Commissioner  [Handicrafts]  implements  various  schemes  for promotion,  development,  and  betterment  of  handicraft  artisans  including  tribal  people  and  the persons  working  in  the  handicraft  sector.    The  schemes  clubbed  under  one  umbrella  namely 'National Handicraft Development Programme [NHDP]' has following components:-
- I. A.      Ambedkar Hastshilp Vikas Yojna
- (i) Dastkar Shashktikaran Yojna
- (ii) Design & Technology Upgradation
- (iii) Human Resource Development
- (iv) Direct Benefit to Artisans
- (v) Infrastructure and Technology Support
- B.     Mega Cluster
- II. Marketing Support & Services.
- III. Research and Development

In addition to the above, MoU has been signed between Ministry of Textiles, Office of the Development  Commissioner  (Handicrafts)  and  National  Scheduled  Caste  Finance  Development Corporation  under  Ministry  of  Social  Justice  and  Empowerment  with  an  objective  of  overall economic upliftment of Handicrafts artisans belonging to SC category.

Another  MoU has  been  signed  between  Ministry  of  Textiles,  Office  of  the  Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) and National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation (NBCFDC) under  Ministry  of  Social  Justice  and  Empowerment  with  an  objective  to  implement various  activities  of  Handicrafts  in  the  country  for  the  OBC  artisans  through  eligible  field organizations working for promotion of handicrafts at cluster level.

(b): The traditional products are marketed through marketing events organized throughout the country as detailed below:-

- (i) National level fairs, Exhibitions, Gandhi Shilp Bazars, Craft Bazars under Domestic Marketing events.
- (ii) Fairs,  exhibitions,  thematic  show,  Stand  Alone  Shows/  road  shows,  cultural Exchange Programmes etc. under International marketing events.
- (iii) Brand Promotion and Publicity.

Any  artisan  including  tribal  artisans  can  apply  for  participation  in  marketing  events  on line/offline through the Assistant Director of the concerned Marketing and Service Extension Centre for participation in different marketing events like National level Mela, Gandhi Shilp Bazaar/Craft Bazars, Exhibitions.

- (c): India Handmade Bazar- Direct marketing portal for handicrafts artisans has been launched to  provide  direct  market  access  facility  to  genuine  handicrafts  artisans  including  tribal  artisans working  in  the  far  flung  areas.    Any  handicraft  artisan  registered  under  pehchan  can  utilize  this portal for marketing their products.  This initiative will certainly provide Global Marketing Platform and  will  certainly  reduce  the  distance  between  the  markets  and  the  places  where  traditional products/handicrafts are being produced.
- (d): The  Government  has  recently  taken  following  initiatives  to  encourage  traditional  textile industry in the country:-
1. Nation-wide  Artisans  I  Card  campaign  named  'Pehchan'  has  been  launched  to register handicraft artisans working in different craft categories.
2. Special project for Integrated Development and Promotion of Handicrafts has been sanctioned  for  Tamil  Nadu,  Jharkhand,  Uttarakhand,  Kerala,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Arunachal Pradesh,  Varanasi  (U.P.),  Karnataka,  Telangana  and  Bihar  States  at  a  project  cost  of 208.81 crores.  Rs. 74.79  has been released.  Under These  projects Design Interventions, Skill  Upgradation training  (Soft  and  Hard)  Distribution  of  Tools,  Setting  up  of  Common Facility  Centres,  and  Marketing  exhibitions  will  be  undertaken  so  that  the  artisans productivity and income gets increases.   Under these projects 158805   handicrafts artisans will be benefitting directly and indirectly.
3. Under the programme namely 'Linking Textiles with Tourism' major tourist places are being linked with Handicrafts Clusters and Infrastructure Support combined with Soft interventions to create awareness, and value-proposition for handicraft items, and also create demand in domestic market, publicity campaign has been initiated.
4. To provide Marketing Support & Services to artisans Textiles India Fair, Integrated Mega  Events  in  Mega  Cities  and  Bharat  Parv  at  Delhi  during  Independence  Day  and Republic day celebration has been started recently.

***********