Villages that are home to weavers, artisans and craftsmen may soon be added to the itinerary of tourists.
Textiles Secretary S.K. Panda has written to all Chief Secretaries to name four to five villages which would be developed on lines of the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana that Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Independence Day. The letter sent on September 8 said, "Necessary infrastructure for the handloom weavers/ handicraft artisans living in the selected villages, as well as for the tourists may be developed by pooling available fund under ongoing schemes..."
A Ministry source explained that the government was against making artisans dependent on government funds. "The benefits of this scheme are three fold. Handlooms and handicrafts will get sold, rural jobs are
created and tourists are exposed to our traditions. There are several such villages which are accessible from major airports and rail heads and are on major highways," the source added.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Textiles Minister Santosh Gangwar said his ministry would promote high value products like silk and link weavers to the fashion industry.
"There has been sustained propaganda against us that we use child labour. In all traditional crafts the entire family is involved and other children are not hired. This is not child labour and we will have to relook at laws on the same," Mr. Gangwar told reporters.
The Ministry has also tied up with online retailer Flipkart for weavers to directly sell their products without losing money to middlemen. Flipkart would take 3 to 5 per cent commission on the sales, Mr. Gangwar said. Flipkart will also provide analytics to identify customers and allow weavers to create their personal brands.
