Lok Sabha Question No. 117 (STARRED), answered on 2017-02-09
Subject: Handicraft Artisans
Ministry: TEXTILES
Asked by: LAXMAN GILUWA, RAM TAHAL CHOUDHARY

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*117 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.02.2017

## HANDICRAFT ARTISANS

- *117.   SHRI LAXMAN GILUWA: SHRI RAM TAHAL CHOUDHARY:

Will the Minister of TEXTILES वस्त्र मंरी be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of handicraft artisans in the country, State-wise;
- (b) the  details  of  development/welfare  programme/scheme  undertaken  for handicraft-artisans;
- (c) whether several difficulties have cropped up in the implementation of the development programmes/schemes for artisans and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the corrective steps being taken by the Government in this regard?

## उत्तर

## ANSWER

## वस्त्र मंरी ( )

MINISTER OF TEXTILES (SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

- (a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## Statement referred to in reply to Parts (a) to (d) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No.*117 for answer on 09.02.2017.

(a): The  present  estimated  number  of  artisans  in  the    country  is  68.80  lakhs. A special Nation-wide Artisans Identity Card campaign  namely  'Pehchan' has been launched on 7 th October, 2016 to register handicrafts artisans from all over the country. The details of state-wise artisans registered so far is as per Annexure- I .

(b): Ministry  of  Textiles  implements  various  schemes  for  promotion,  development and welfare of handicrafts artisans.  Recently, various schemes have been reviewed and rationalised  into  one  umbrella  scheme  namely  ' National  Handicraft  Development Programme [NHDP]' to emphasize integrated approach for development of handicraft cluster in a holistic manner.  The NHDP has following components:-

- I. A.      Ambedkar Hastshilp Vikas Yojna
2. (i) Dastkar Shashktikaran Yojna.
3. (ii) Design & Technology Upgradation
4. (iii) Human Resource Development
5. (iv) Direct Benefit to Artisans.
6. (v) Infrastructure and Technology Support.
- B.     Mega Cluster
- II. Marketing Support & Services.
- III. Research and Development

' Direct Benefit to Artisans' component envisages welfare measures like Health and  Life  insurance, recognition, extending  credit facilities, supply  of  tools  and equipment to the artisans etc.

(c) & (d): In the light of the practical difficulties experienced during implementation of  the  various  scheme  for  the  development  programmes/schemes  for  the  benefit  of handicrafts artisans the following changes have been made in the ' National Handicraft Development Programme [NHDP]'.

## 1. Design & Technology Upgradation Scheme

- (i) Stipend is increased from existing Rs. 150/- to Rs. 300/- in respect of Design and Technology Workshops and Integrated Design Projects.
- (ii) To include one mastercraftsman at a wage compensation of Rs. 30,000/- per month during development of prototypes and training.
- (iii) Under the programme  Assistance to Exporter and Entrepreneurs for Design prototype, to enhance the designer's fee from existing Rs. 20,000/- per month to Rs.30,000/- per month  for a period not exceeding six months.

## 2. Human Resource Development Scheme

- (i) To  increase  the  stipend  from  existing  Rs.  150/-  to  Rs.  300/-  in  respect  of Training  through  Established  Institutions,  Handicrafts  Training  Programme, Training through Guru Shishya Parampara Scheme.
- (ii) Under  Training  the  trainers  (ToT)  programme  the  wage  compensation  has been enhanced  from existing Rs. 150/- to Rs. 400/- appreciating the fact that under  this  programme  only  the  skilled  artisans  and    mastercraftpersons participate as trainees who's wage earnings will be generally high.
- (iii) The eligibility criteria has been relaxed to include the State Awardees under Guru Shishya Parampara to take up training programmes in crafts registered under Geographical Indication act (GI Act) and languishing crafts etc.

## 3. Direct Benefit to Artisans Scheme

- (i) To increase Financial Assistance to the artisans under indigent circumstances from existing Rs.3000/- to Rs. 3500/- per month.
- (ii) To  avail  the  Financial  Assistance  under  indigent  circumstances,  the  limit  of annual income of the artisans is raised from Rs.30,000/- to Rs. 50,000/-.
- (iii) To enhance interest subvention from 3% to 6 % with a maximum ceiling of Rs.  1,00,000/-  at  par  and  in  parity  with  other  sectors  like  Handlooms  and Powerloom etc.

## 4. Marketing Support & Services Scheme

- (i) To enhance the DA to the  artisans under Domestic marketing programmes like Gandhi Shilp Bazaar, Craft Bazaar, Exhibitions,   Hiring of built-up space etc. from existing Rs. 100/- to Rs.150/-.
- (ii) Reimbursement  of  freight  charges  has  been  enhanced  from  Rs.1000/-  to Rs. 1500/- for all the artisans.

## 5. Research and Development Scheme

- (i) To enhance the DA to  the  artisans to attend the Seminars/Workshops from Rs. 100/- to Rs. 150/-

## Annexure-I

## Annexure referred to in reply to Part (a) Lok Sabha Starred Question No.*117 for answer on 09.02.2017.

| Name of M&SEC / Field office   |   Total Application Forms collected as on till date |
|--------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
| Andhra Pradesh                 |                                               36553 |
| Arunachal Pradesh              |                                                1456 |
| Assam                          |                                               24902 |
| Bihar                          |                                               15107 |
| Chhattisgarh                   |                                                4225 |
| Goa                            |                                                2491 |
| Gujarat                        |                                               24667 |
| Haryana                        |                                                4444 |
| Himachal Pradesh               |                                                4863 |
| J&K                            |                                               20578 |
| Jharkhand                      |                                                9128 |
| Karnataka                      |                                               11448 |
| Kerala                         |                                               19065 |
| MP                             |                                               47325 |
| Maharashtra                    |                                               24062 |
| Manipur                        |                                               11821 |
| Meghalaya                      |                                                1875 |
| Mizoram                        |                                                 584 |
| Nagaland                       |                                                1682 |
| New Delhi                      |                                                4224 |
| Odisha                         |                                               16875 |
| Pondicherry                    |                                                4723 |
| Port Blair                     |                                                 727 |
| Punjab                         |                                                7688 |
| Rajasthan                      |                                               20197 |
| Sikkim                         |                                                1795 |
| T N                            |                                               16771 |
| Talagana                       |                                               13535 |
| Tripura                        |                                                7771 |
| Uttar Pradesh                  |                                              520042 |
| Uttarakhand                    |                                               15460 |
| West Bengal                    |                                               21890 |
| All India                      |                                              917974 |