H&H Department celebrates National Handloom Day

Jammu: National Handloom Day to was celebrated here today at Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom Department Jammu to commemorate the Swadeshi Movement.
Director, Handicrafts and Handloom Department, Jammu, Vikas Gupta; Joint Director Handloom, Pardeep Manhas; Joint Director Handicrafts, Anju Gupta; Dy. Director Adm, Gh. Rasool; Dy. Director Trainings, Masooda Akhtar; Development Officer, Freed Ahmed Kohi; Dy. Director Planning, Megha Baogia; Assistant Director Handlooms, Sonika Parihar; Assistant Director Handloom; Deputy Registrar, INDUSCOS, Joginder Mangol and other senior officers/officials, besides artisan/weaver community attended the event.
Speaking on the occasion, the Director H&H highlighted that National Handloom Day is celebrated to honor the weaver community, and acknowledge their contribution towards development of the nation. The aim is to protect this heritage and to empower the weavers/artisan of the sector.
He emphasized that since Handlooms is a symbol of identity, culture and inclusive growth of a country, everyone should come forward to buy the handloom products to support the handloom weavers. He informed that 222 Handloom Cooperatives are already registered with the Department and formation of more Cooperatives has been undertaken by the Department on a Mission Mode. “Cluster approach for development of Handlooms sector is the prime focus of the Department to strengthen the ‘vocal for local’ campaign,” he added.
He said 4 clusters at Moungri-Udhampur, Mahanpur and Lohai Malahar-Kathua and Ukhral-Ramban are already functional and DPRs for the formation of more clusters are being framed.
He added that Handlooms is an eco friendly activity and a viable way of making a living for which department has 42 training centers spread across the division where the youth can approach for development of skills and organize themselves into cooperatives to avail benefit of various Centrally/UT sponsored schemes like Pradhan Mantri Weavers Mudra Scheme, National Handloom Development Programme, Micro Credit Plan Scheme etc., besides availing soft loans and subsidies for entrepreneurship development.
He said products like Kisthwari Loi/blankets, Basohli Pashmina, Moungri Tweed are well acclaimed having tremendous export potential and steps for GI registration and brand promotion of these are afoot.
On the occasion, Certificates of Appreciation were issued to M/S Hari Om Pashmina Handloom Industrial Cooperative Society (ICS) Nagrota, Preta (Basholi), Kathua; M/S Jan Kalyan Handloom Weaving ICS Ltd, Muralian, R. S. Pura, Jammu; M/S Handloom Weaving ICS Ltd. Gangyal, Jammu; M/S Pashmina Wool Weavers ICS Ltd., Roop Nagar, Jammu; Impact Handloom Weaving ICS Ltd, Jandyal Thathi, Jammu and M/S Weaker Section Handloom weavers ICS Cooperative Ltd. Roopnagar, Jammu for their outstanding contribution towards the Handloom Sector in Jammu Division.
On spot registration as per Jammu and Kashmir Self Reliant Cooperative Act, 1999 was also issued to Handloom Cooperatives.