KVIC chairman visits Arunachal to promote Self

ITANAGAR, 13 May: In an effort to take the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ‘Self-reliant India’ and ‘Local to Global’ campaigns to remote villages of the North Eastern states, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) chairman Manoj Kumar visited Arunachal Pradesh from 8 to 13 May.

During his visit, Kumar reviewed the activities related to the ongoing Khadi and Village Industries Development Scheme in the state and encouraged the people to join the Self-reliant India campaign, according to a KVIC release.

In order to provide employment opportunities to maximum numbers of youths, a PMEGP awareness camp was also organized in Tawang on Friday.

On the occasion, the KVIC chairman announced the opening of sub-office of KVIC, Itanagar in Tawang. The sub-office of KVIC in Tawang would cater the maximum employment opportunities and needs for the youth of Tawang city, he said.

On his way to Tawang from Guwahati, the KVIC chairman also inspected several

industrial units set-up under PMEGP at Bomdila in West Kameng district on 9 May.

Addressing the young entrepreneurs there, the chairman said that India is fast moving towards becoming a world leader. "The indigenous local products of KVIC are now rapidly making global recognitions," he said and called upon the young entrepreneurs of Arunachal Pradesh to prepare local products with such quality that their demand increases globally.

On 10 May, Kumar attended an awareness camp under Gramodyog Vikas Yojana and PMEGP at Lohu. The camp saw participation of a large number of youth and beneficiaries.

The KVIC chairman appealed to the youths to become job provider instead of becoming a jobseeker. He also visited the Khadi Eri Silk Training-cum-Production Center at Lohu.

The KVIC had set up the Khadi Eri Silk Training-cum-Production Center at Tawang last year in order to revive the silk industry in Arunachal Pradesh as well as generate local employment in a sustainable manner. The center was established with assistance of Buddhist Culture Protection Society, Bomdila. The Society has provided the building for the Silk Center while, the KVIC has provided other necessary infrastructures, like handlooms, charkhas, silk reeling machines and warping drums. It is providing direct employment to 20 women artisans from Tawang and West Kameng districts.

The KVIC chairman assured that a branch of the Khadi Eri Silk Training-cum- Production Center would also be opened in Tawang town.

He further said, "Khadi has now become global from local and upto 31st January, 2023, the turnover of KVI products has crossed the figure of 1,08,000 crores in the financial year 2022-23."

On 11 May, the KVIC chairman visited Monpa Handmade Paper Making Unit in Tawang and met the artisans associated with it. "Due to the dedicated efforts of KVIC, the 1000 years old traditional art of Arunachal Pradesh, Monpa Handmade Paper Industry, which had become extinct recently, has now come alive once again," he said. The Monpa Handmade Paper making art originated over 1000 years ago, and gradually became an integral part of the local customs and cultures in Tawang.

The KVIC chairman congratulated the artisans associated with Monpa Handmade Paper Industry and assured that 50 artisans would be sent for training at Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute of KVIC in Jaipur, so as to make Monpa handmade paper a world-class product. He further said that there is a good demand for traditional handmade Monpa papers in the international markets.

"It will be the endeavor of KVIC to bring recognition to the Monpa handmade paper of Arunachal Pradesh in the international market thereby generating more and more employment," he said.

Kumar distributed pickle-making machine to 20 beneficiaries on 12 May at Bomdila.

KVIC is distributing tools and machinery to the workers of Indian traditional industries under the Gramodyog Vikas Yojana, thereby increasing the income of the artisans of traditional industries, improving their standard of living, as well as preserving and promoting Indian traditional industries.