SRINAGAR: The government has sponsored 93 micro-industrial units and facilitated 34 units under the PMEGP and JKREGP schemes to promote employment generation in the Padder-Nagseni constituency for the 2024-25 fiscal year.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary provided this information while responding to a question raised by Sunil Kumar Sharma in the Legislative Assembly.
He said that the department has registered trainees as weavers and artisans, conducted six awareness camps, registered 78 artisans for Artisan Cards, and 55 for Pehchan Cards, enabling them to avail benefits under various schemes and integrate with e-commerce platforms.
The Minister said that Entrepreneurship Awareness Programmes (EAPs) have been conducted, and 12 candidates from Padder-Nagseni have received capacity-building training under the Hausla Programme in the current financial year. Additionally, 2,137 applications have been received under the Vishwakarma scheme.
He informed the House that 329 artisans and 125 weavers have been registered in the Padder-Nagseni constituency and are eligible for benefits under various schemes linked to Artisan Cards.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that various schemes are being implemented to support local handicrafts, particularly Pashmina weaving and other traditional crafts in the constituency.
He added that 10 sanctioned training centres in Kishtwar district provide training in crafts such as crewel, staple, sozni, carpet weaving, wheat straw craft, and handloom weaving. One training centre dedicated to wheat straw craft is functional in Padder-Nagseni. Beyond training programmes, the department also offers support to weavers and artisans through initiatives such as the Credit Card Scheme 2020, Weaver Mudra Scheme, Karkhandar Scheme 2021, and financial support for cooperative registration.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that 27 cases have been sponsored to various banks from the Padder-Nagseni constituency, of which 15 have been sanctioned so far. Additionally, three cases have been sponsored under the Weavers MUDRA Scheme 2015 in the past three years.
He further informed that 14 cooperatives have been registered in the Padder sub-division, covering 154 artisans and weavers under the Financial Support Scheme for Cooperatives of the Handicrafts and Handloom Department over the past three years. These artisans and weavers practice traditional crafts such as mixed embroidery, stone jewellery, crewel embroidery, wheat straw crafts, and weaving. An amount of Rs 7 lakh has been disbursed as the first instalment to these cooperatives.
He added that four industrial handicrafts cooperatives from Padder-Nagseni have participated in national-level exhibitions, while two industrial handicrafts cooperative societies have taken part in the Bhaderwah Fest. Two crafts, Kishtwari Loi and wheat straw products, are currently under submission to NABARD.
Furthermore, a plot of land measuring eight kanals has been identified at Matti, Padder, for the promotion of the hotel industry.
