New Delhi: The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has focused exclusively on Khadi artisans in Jammu and Kashmir during the period of Covid-19. Meanwhile, KVIC has worked tirelessly to create permanent employment across the country, not only that the Commission has paid Rs 29.65 crore to Khadi institutions only in the hilly areas of Jammu and Kashmir, on which the Government of India specifically paying attention to
The amount has been distributed to 84 Khadi institutions in Jammu and Kashmir from May 2020 to September 2020, benefitting around 10,800 Khadi artisans associated with these institutions. This financial assistance has been provided under the Revised Marketing Development Assistance (MMDA) scheme of KVIC which is directly related to production activities. Under this scheme, the money is transferred directly to the bank accounts of the artisans through direct benefit transfer.
A special drive to settle 951 old MMDA claims of Khadi institutions of Jammu and Kashmir was also launched by KVIC during the Kovid-19 lockdown period. Such claims were related from the year 2016-17 to 2018-19 and were pending due to various technical reasons.
Khadi and Village Industries Commission Chairman Vinay Kumar Saxena said that, through this special campaign, payment of Rs. 29.65 crore released to 84 Khadi institutions has benefited 10,800 artisans in Jammu and Kashmir. Which strengthens the Prime Minister’s resolve to make every weaker section “self-reliant”.
Saxena said that “In addition to ensuring financial assistance to Khadi institutions and artisans through the MMDA scheme, KVIC has extended Khadi face masks to thousands of women artisans working in self-help groups in Jammu, Udhampur, Pulwama, Kupwara, and Anantnag. Sewing work is provided. About 7 lakh Khadi face masks were made by these women artisans and were supplied to the Jammu and Kashmir government.”
At present, 103 Khadi institutes are functioning in Jammu and Kashmir. Of these, 12 are mainly working on making Pashmina shawl, the most liked of Kashmir. More than 60 percent of these shawls are produced in the South Kashmir region i.e. Anantnag, Bandipora, Pulwama, and Kulgam. A large number of buyers of products made in Jammu and Kashmir are found in states like Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. These products are being sold through various Khadi India Cell outlets and KVIC e-portal.