Srinagar, June 1: Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Baseer Ahmad Khan, today chaired a meeting of Handicrafts and Handloom department to get first hand feedback about its functioning and to explore ways and means for revival of Kashmir’s art and craft.
While chairing the meeting, the Advisor directed the officers to strengthen the base level of the department and take measures for uplifting the economic conditions of artisans. He said that endeavour of the department should be to initiate adequate steps for helping artisans in increasing their production and showcasing their products.
Advisor directed the officers to explore possibilities for creating opportunities for the artisans for showcasing their products. He further asked them to identify the areas where convergence with the other departments or programmes for providing an immediate platform to artisans could be done. He asked for working out strategies to give a fillip to economic activities of the artisans and look for avenues which liberates them from economic distress.
He also emphasised upon the need for enforcement of GI tagging on Pashmina and other exclusive handmade products of Kashmir.
Describing handicrafts as the economic strength, the Advisor stressed on proper utilisation of Kashmir Haat for the promotion of handicrafts and to provide opportunities to artisans to sell their handicraft items directly and directed the Handicrafts Department to organize regular activities in the Haat.
The Advisor also said that handicraft outlets should be opened at those places which witness a huge footfall of tourists like Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg and also at prominent places along the National Highway.
Handicrafts and Handloom said that seven crafts have been geo-tagged while other 10 products are in the pipeline for geo tagging. He also said that efforts are underway for the revival of dying crafts like filigree and glazed tiles. He said that the department has tied with e-commerce sites to increase the market of artisans and tied up with NIFT that would come up with packaging designs for the products.