Financial assistance is provided to handicrafts artisans under Direct Benefit to Artisans under following schemes of Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles:

(i) Mudra Loan with Interest Subvention & Margin Money for Handicrafts Artisans:

Under Mudra Loan assistance is provided to artisans/weavers with Interest subvention of 6 % for a period of 3 years to a maximum limit of Rs.100000/- to meet their credit requirements. Further to encourage the artisans to avail the facility of MUDRA loan, 20% of MUDRA loan amount is also being provided as margin money in their loan amount not exceeding to Rs. 10,000/-. Handicrafts Service Centers are facilitating artisans in availing the credit facility by mobilizing them, creating awareness & submitting applications to the Banks.

(ii) Support to Artisans in Indigent Circumstances (Pension Scheme):

This scheme provides financial assistance to awardee artisans who are the recipient of Shilp Guru Award/ National Award/ Nation Merit Certificate holders/ State Award in handicrafts and are not less than 60 years of age having annual income less then Rs. 50,000. Financial assistance of Rs. 3,500 per month is given to Master Craftsperson in indigent circumstances.

(iii) Insurance Scheme for Handicrafts Artisans:

Handicrafts artisans /workers in the age group of 18-50 years are being provided life, accident and disability cover under the PMJJBY and PMSBY. Handicrafts artisans /workers in the age group of 5l-59 years already enrolled under the Aam Admi Bima Yojana (AABY) are being continued to get covered under the Converged Modified Aam Admi Bima Yojana (Converged AABY).

(iv) MoU with NIOS and IGNOU:

MoUs have been signed between Ministry of Textiles and National Institute of open schooling (NIOS) and MoU signed between Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) for collaboration in the area of education for handicraft artisans and their children wherein reimbursement of 75% of the fee for SC/ST/BPL and the women artisans is being made. In the MoU there is provision for designing courses exclusively for the handicrafts artisans and their children. Accordingly, NIOS has been sanctioned 15 training programme in Zari Zardozi craft in the Varanasi region under the component of Training through Established Institutions of Human Resource Development Scheme. So far, 99 Scheduled Caste artisans have completed training and are practicing the craft at present with enhanced earning.

 

The Government implements various schemes for promotion and development of handicrafts sector under National Handicraft Development Programme (NHDP) and Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme (CHCDS).

The NHDP has following components:

1. Base Line Survey & Mobilization of Artisans under Ambedkar Hastshilp Vikas Yojana,
2. Design & Technology Up gradation,
3. Human Resource Development,
4. Direct Benefit to Artisans,
5. Infrastructure and Technology Support,
6. Research and Development,
7. Marketing Support & Services.

 

The CHCDS has following components: 

1. Mega Cluster
2. Special projects under Integrated Development and Promotion of Handicraft (IDPH).

The Government has taken imitative to implement cluster development project under Ambedkar Hastshilp Vikas Yojna(AHVY) for the overall development of artisans in Uttar Pradesh. 62 clusters have been sanctioned during last three years in Uttar Pradesh where 31000 artisans are being benefitted. The Government has taken initiative under Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme (CHCDS), whereas 4 handicrafts mega cluster at Mirzapur -Bhadhoi, Moradabad, Bareilly & Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh have been sanctioned.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Textiles, Smriti Zubin Irani, in written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

 

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MM/ SB

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