Srinagar, Jul 08 (KNO): Notifying more Kashmiri crafts will open opportunities for the neglected artisans to avail of the government schemes and other benefits, Director Handicrafts and Handloom (H&H) Department Mehmood Ahmad Shah said on Saturday.
Talking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Shah said a big section of craftsmen has been neglected in Kashmir and there is a need to give them recognition. “It is a big section which needs to be registered as it will open opportunities for them to avail of the government schemes,” he said.
The government schemes, Mehmood Shah said, include financial assistance, artisan credit card and covering the education of their children. “The idea is to reach out to the maximum artisans, and if there will be any other craft pending that needs to be notified, we will notify that too,” he said.
The Director H&H said the department has already notified some crafts before and almost all of them have been covered. If there will be anyone pending, that will be notified as well, he said.
The government has been making efforts to curb fake handicraft products, Shah said, adding that J&K is the only place in India where all crafts are either GI-tagged or linked with a QR-coded mechanism. “As of now, copper, paper machie, walnut, khatamband, silverware and other products are being linked with QR-coded mechanism and the process in this regard has been already started,” he said.
"QR-coded application was launched in February this year and there is a need to promote it so that people purchase GI-certified or QR-coded stuff. That will help in the promotion of genuine artisans,” the Director said.
The government of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday notified 21 more crafts from Kashmir as “Notified Handicrafts”. The notification of these crafts was a long pending demand of the artisans associated with these crafts and shall enable them to gain a sense of pride and identity.
The crafts which have been notified include Sozni Embroidery, Staple Embroidery, Khatamband, Paper Pulp, Kharadi, Glazed Pottery, Katas, Copperware Engraving, Copperware Sakhta, Pottery, Calligraphy, Painting, Handicrafts Furniture, Handmade Aromatics, Handmade Soap, Filigree, Mosaic Craft, Wagguv, Shikara, Willow Bat, and Innovative Crafts. Besides the 21 crafts of Kashmir, 10 crafts of Jammu have also been declared as “Notified Crafts"—(KNO)