At a time when the state government is making tall claims about handholding of artisans, more than 2.32 lakh craftsmen in Jammu and Kashmir continue to be unregistered and as a result do not receive any benefit from different government schemes.
This information was given by Industries and Commerce Minister Chander Prakash Ganga in a written reply to a question of Member of Legislative Assembly Ali Muhammad Sagar during the current session.
The reply states that out of 4 lakh persons associated with handicrafts in Jammu and Kashmir only 1.67 lakh (1,67,476) are registered while 2.33 lakh (2,32,524) are unregistered artisans. “The incentives as per the guidelines in vogue are being provided to the registered artisans,” the reply states.
Handicraft units registered with Handicrafts Department shall be considered at par with industrial units for the purpose of availing incentives under the existing industrial policy, the reply states.
“The department has covered 44,414 artisans under Artisan Credit Card (ACC) scheme involving interest subsidy of Rs 62.36 crore whereas artisans have received a loan to the tune of Rs 375 crore till ending November 2017,” the reply stated.
Figures obtained from Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries indicate that since 2014 handicraft industry has taken a hit and from Rs 2,800 crore volume of business, the handicrafts exports have taken a nosedive with recent exports (including sales within country) have reduced to Rs 2,100 crore. The information reveals that handicrafts worth around Rs 1,200 crore are exported from Kashmir while sales within the country is around worth Rs 600 crore. Handloom exports have been touching Rs 300 crores.
“The volume of business as above prior to floods of 2014 was touching Rs 2,800 crore which was expected to grow further but due to after-effects of the flood and other untoward situations that over took the valley one after the other the Handicraft and Handloom business got badly affected. Therefore the expected business could not be achieved,” says KCCI report.
Replying to a question on the steps being taken to rehabilitate the artisans in the state, the Industries Minister had said new Initiatives have been announced in state Budget 2018-19 to further incentivize the artisans, provide better market support and ensure sustenance of quality in the handicrafts products. The minister had also said the Government is soon introducing an e-Commerce platform to link artisans and weavers of the state. “The target is to increase the exports of Handicrafts and Handloom Products besides serving the prime objective of minimizing the exploitation of the multiple steps of middlemen ship. The job has been tendered out for creating J&K e-commerce platform,” the written reply stated.
Draft Trade Policy of the state which was recently put in the public domain expects exports of handlooms and handicrafts to “touch a whopping Rs 10,000 crore in 2023 from the present almost Rs 2100 worth exports”.
For this government has established Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO) having International Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) and Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) as equity partners to build, support, maintain, increase and promote trade related activities and infrastructure and “bring in more professionalism into the system in the interest of promoting domestic and export trade from the state”.