Anantnag, Jan 18: The Handicrafts Department, Anantnag today organized a one day awareness camp at Achabal to raise awareness among the participants regarding various welfare schemes and programmes offered by the department, a press statement said.

The camp was inaugurated by AD Handicrafts Anantnag, Abhimanyu Singh.

While addressing the artisans, the AD said that main aim of organizing the camp is to aware the artisans about various handicraft activities like chain stitch, crewel, embroidery, wood carving, paper mache, Zari, Tapestry, willow wicker, carpet and Kani shawl.

He directed the concerned officers to make sure that newly formulated schemes for artisans percolate down to the target public. He also directed the entrepreneurs and societies to avail the benefits of the departmental schemes.

Singh on the occasion highlighted the achievements made by the department during the current fiscal and said that department has provided interest subsidy of more than  Rs.1.44 cr to the artisan community of handicrafts Block Achabal  for setting up their own income generating units, the statement further said.

The AD said that the department is also providing Rs. 500 and Rs. 700 monthly stipend to the trainees during the training period of one year and two years. He also informed the camp that presently 28 handicraft centers are functional in the district and 09 centers in Dooru Sub-Division.

The statement added that the department also provides financial assistance of Rs. 01 lakh at 7 percent subsidy and has registered 6700 artisans with the handicraft department, and that the department has submitted proposals for setting up of Mega Clusters at Larnoo in crewel, Chain stitch and staple embroidery while as regular cluster for Safapora Wularhama in paper mache.

The AD handicrafts appealed to the artisans and trainees to come forward for taking benefit of the state and central sponsored welfare schemes for their better livelihood.

The camp was also addressed by the experts of handicrafts including HTO’s, KVIB officers who apprised the participants and artisans about latest techniques and welfare programmes being implemented by the department for the welfare of the artisan community.

The camp was attended by a large number of artisans, trainees, society holders besides various departmental officers of Handicrafts, Handloom, KVIB and Induscose, the statement added.