Jewel boxes made of stones with intricate carvings-cum-designs, images of Lord Ganapathy, leather bags and foot ware are some of the products made by entrepreneurs from different parts of the State under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) sponsored by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission.
The week-long exhibition on PMEGP at the SRT Hall in Thillainagar brings manufacturers face to face with the buyers.
For instance, the jewel boxes are being made by a group of six workers of Sri Ganesh Cottage Industries, a unit of the KVIC, at Mammallapuram.
“We bring the stones from Andhra Pradesh and marbles from Rajasthan. Mammallapuram is noted for masterpieces in stones, attracting tourists from different parts of the world. Obviously, this coastal centre has come as a boon for our trade. During peak demand period during summer, we even hire a couple of more artisans,” says A. Suriya, explaining the advantages of the PMEGP.
Another entrepreneur from Rajapalayam, A. Muthammal, who runs the Madhumathi Foods, said she adopted the concept of natural diet for a healthy life, “and it works well”. She has a good variety of flours which is a combination of various ingredients. “You can make ‘dosai’ or ‘puri’ with these mixtures of flours,” she said.
An entrepreneur from Madhya Pradesh has come with wide range natural and herbal medicines. His stall Dhanvantri Ayurvedic Jadi Budu Aushadhi Bhandar has bio drugs for ensuring various basic ailments and complaints such as hair fall, pimples.
The objective of the exhibition was to guide the interested unemployed youths to utilise the PMEGP, says D. Dhanapal, State Director of KVIC, Chennai.
Adequate subsidy was available for promoting cottage industries across the State. Those interested can call him on 9445035787. The exhibition is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
