Srinagar, Sept 09: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, on Tuesday held a high-level meeting with Neelam Shami Rao, Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Textiles, to chart a forward-looking roadmap for the robust promotion and transformative development of the handicrafts, handloom and sericulture sectors in the Union Territory.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary sought the Ministry’s support to introduce advanced certificate courses in NIFT Srinagar’s craft sector, with a vision to eventually evolve them into full-fledged degree programs. He called for the establishment of an incubation centre at NIFT aligned with the UT’s flagship Mission YUVA scheme, to skill and empower the youth.
Emphasising the strategic role of QR coding in promoting authentic handmade products from Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Secretary underlined its potential to not only enhance traceability and assure authenticity but also to expand market access, strengthen brand value, and build greater consumer trust, calling for its wider adoption across the craft and handloom sectors.
He further assured the Secretary, Textiles, that the J&K Government would soon resolve the pending issue of land transfer for the establishment of a Weaver Service Centre at Bemina, a step expected to significantly strengthen artisan-centric initiatives in the handloom sector.
During the deliberations, Secretary Textiles sought the intervention of the Chief Secretary to address issues related to NIFT Srinagar at its Ompora campus. She stressed the need for increased funding support and additional land allocation to transform the institute into a premier fashion technology centre of excellence.
