Lok Sabha Question No. 4845 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-25
Subject: Setting up of Artisan Welfare Fund Trust
Ministry: MICRO,SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
Asked by: Sunil Dattatray Tatkare, Kuldeep Rai Sharma, DNV Senthilkumar. S., Amol Ramsing Kolhe, Subhash Ramrao Bhamre, Supriya Sadanand Sule

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4845 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.03.2021

## SETTING UP OF ARTISAN WELFARE FUND TRUST

## 4845.  SHRI SUNIL DATTATRAY TATKARE:

SHRI KULDEEP RAI SHARMA:

DR. DNV SENTHILKUMAR. S.:

DR. AMOL RAMSING KOLHE:

DR. SUBHASH RAMRAO BHAMRE:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

Will  the  Minister  of  MICRO,  SMALL  AND  MEDIUM  ENTERPRISES  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) the aims and objectives of setting up of Artisan Welfare Fund Trust (AWFT);
- (b) whether the Government has achieved the objectives of setting up AWFT and if so, the details thereof and if not, the corrective steps taken in this regard;
- (c) the contribution made by artisans and khadi institutions towards the trusts;
- (d) the number of AWFT set up by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission in the country, State/UT-wise especially in Andaman and Nicobar Islands;
- (e) the quantum of funds available with the AWFT during each of the last three years and the number of artisans benefitted out of it; and
- (f) whether the Government has made any assessment on the working of AWFT and if so,  the  outcome thereof and the other steps taken by the Government for the welfare of khadi artisans?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SHRI NITIN GADKARI)

- (a): The aims and objectives of setting up of Artisan Welfare Fund Trust (AWFT) are to create a welfare fund for the benefit of Khadi Artisans and provide security to artisans.
- (b): Yes,  Sir.    This  fund  is  utilized  for  assistance  to  artisans  in  fields  like  medical, educational, maternity, construction of house, etc.  As on 31.03.2020, out of 2737 number of registered Khadi Institutions, 2594 Khadi Institutions have taken membership of these trusts.  The  total  deposit  with  the  Trusts  was  to  the  tune  of  Rs.  153.29  crore  as  on 31.03.2020 and an amount of Rs. 33.30 crore was withdrawn by Artisans for their needs.

- (c): As per the AWFT guidelines, artisans contribute 12% of their earning to AWFT with matching contribution by the Khadi Institution to the Trust.
- (d): A total of 23 Artisan Welfare Fund Trusts have been set up by Khadi and Village Industries  Commission (KVIC) in the country. State-wise details is annexed.  No Trust has been set up in Andaman and Nicobar Islands as there is no Khadi Institution.
- (e): The  quantum  of  funds  available  with  AWFT  during  the  last  three  years  and  the number of artisans benefitted are follows:
- (f): The  State  Director  of  KVIC  is  the  Vice-Chairman  of  the  Artisan  Welfare  Fund Trust  in  the  concerned  State  wherein  the  performance  of  the  AWFT  is  reviewed periodically.    The  following  are  being  implemented  by the  KVIC  for the  welfare  of Khadi artisans, other than the AWFT:
- i)    Assistance  up  to  30%  of  'Prime  Cost'  is  provided  to  artisans  under  'Modified Market Development Assistance' (MMDA) scheme.
- ii) 'Workshed Scheme for Khadi Artisans' introduced in 2008-09, provides financial assistance  upto  to  Rs.60000/-  to  individual  Khadi  artisan  for  construction  of worksheds for providing healthy working space.

| Year    |   Funds available (Rs. in crore) |   No. of Artisans benefitted (in lakhs) |
|---------|----------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
| 2017-18 |                           116.01 |                                    4.63 |
| 2018-19 |                           114.57 |                                    4.9  |
| 2019-20 |                           153.29 |                                    4.91 |

* * *

Annexure  referred  to  in  reply  to  part  (d)  of  the  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question  No.  4845  for answer on 25.03.2021

State-wise Artisan Welfare Fund Trusts set up by KVIC in the country

|   Sl. No. | Name of the State / UT   |
|-----------|--------------------------|
|         1 | Andhra Pradesh           |
|         2 | Assam                    |
|         3 | Bihar                    |
|         4 | Chhattisgarh             |
|         5 | Gujarat                  |
|         6 | Haryana                  |
|         7 | Himachal Pradesh         |
|         8 | Jammu &Kashmir           |
|         9 | Jharkhand                |
|        10 | Karnataka                |
|        11 | Kerala                   |
|        12 | Madhya Pradesh           |
|        13 | Maharashtra              |
|        14 | Odisha                   |
|        15 | Punjab                   |
|        16 | Rajasthan                |
|        17 | Tamil Nadu               |
|        18 | Telangana                |
|        19 | Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow)  |
|        20 | Uttar Pradesh (Meerut)   |
|        21 | Uttar Pradesh (Varanasi) |
|        22 | Uttarakhand              |
|        23 | West Bengal              |