Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 28: In a significant and major development, Government of Jammu & Kashmir today enhanced the rate of stipend for trainees undergoing Elementary and Advanced level training courses in various training centres of Handicrafts and Handloom departments.
The monthly stipend in Handicrafts sector has been enhanced from Rs. 500 to Rs. 1000 for Elementary course and from Rs. 700 to Rs. 1500 for Advanced Training Course. Similarly, in respect of Handloom Training Courses, the rate of monthly stipend has been increased from Rs. 500 to Rs. 1000 for Ready-Made Garments (RMG) and Weaving Training Courses.
The enhancement in stipend was long overdue after it was found that the meagre stipends in this sector was failing to attract artisans to pursue craft activity as their profession. The enhancement will not only encourage target groups to this vocation but will also encourage the school drop outs to join the training centres in order to learn skills for securing their future.
The move by the Government is seen to infuse a fresh lease of enthusiasm and motivation among the trainees. Close to 13000 artisans and weavers of Jammu and Kashmir in different crafts of Handicrafts and Handloom sector shall be benefited by this enhancement. It will further increase competition among the youth to seek skill training in training centers of the department and will encourage the traditional artisans and weavers to seek full time capacity building training, thereby helping them to become self reliant.
In the long run, the training imparted would help artisans and weavers to produce more diversified products and become familiar with new ideas, motifs and designs after getting acquainted with new trends in their trades.
Currently there are 369 & 179 Elementary and Advanced Training Centres in the Handicrafts sector and 99 Ready-Made Garments, Weaving and Kani centres in the Handloom sector of Jammu and Kashmir providing training to unemployed youth in different trades/crafts. The enhancement in the stipend comes days after the Government conferred Padma and State Awards to Ghulam Rasool Khan and Sajad Hussain Dar in recognition of their role played in the promotion of Kashmir Handicrafts.
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