Srinagar, Sep 24: Chairman, Handicrafts and Carpet Sector Skill Council (HCSSC), Arshed Mir on Friday urged the Union Minister of State (MOS), Rajeev Chandrasekar to announce initiatives to attract youth towards handicraft sector.
The Minister paid the visit to the cluster unit on the request of Chairman Handicrafts and Carpet Sector Skill Council, Arshed Mir where the MOS assured full support to the handicraft sector.
The minster visited the site with an objective to develop handicrafts in Kashmir and provide skill education to the artisans who are associated with the crafts.
On the occasion, Chairman Handicrafts and Carpet Sector Skill Council, Arshed Mir said that many artisans in Kashmir are moving away due to which export of J&K handicrafts has declined.
“Over the past few years, there has been a massive decline in artisans associated with the handicrafts. We are witnessing a decline of 350%. We don’t have skilled artisans,” he said.
Mir said they put their demands to the MOS to come up with an initiative or program so that our youth can be engaged with the handicrafts. “It will create job opportunities. For which ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship will provide full support and will link with the industry,” he said.
Mir said it will further link programs for exporters, entrepreneurs, wholesalers, dealers of handicrafts and crafts.
“We had invited the MOS for these demands and we hope that they would be resolved soon. We also showed him how carpets, papier-mache, shawls etc are made,” he said.