In a bid to empower women of Jammu and Kashmir's far-flung areas, various handicraft skills are being imparted to them through Centrally sponsored schemes.
Women here are encouraged to learn abilities such as embroidery, crewel, tailoring, and stitching through the government's special skill development programs.
Various girls in the Handloom centre in the Pulwama district thanked the government on Monday for coming up with schemes that promote employment opportunities.
"The Government Of India has taken a very good initiative in our town where the established handloom department teaches crewel embroidery to girls along with a stipend of Rs 1500," Ulfat Jan, one of the trainees told ANI.
"We are been trained in these handloom centres for two years so that, later on, we can set up and run our own unit house to teach other girls and create more employment opportunities in the town," said another trainee Nusrat Ganie.
"By learning these skills, we can earn our own money by making the products at home and selling them," said Rafiq Jan Bhat, another trainee.
Various handicraft skills are being imparted through schemes like Mudra: Financial Assistance Scheme, Artisan Credit Card Scheme, and Registration of Artisans/Weavers.
Muhammad Yaseen, Assistant Director of Handicrafts, Pulwama toldthat the women here are encouraged to learn abilities such as embroidery, crewel, tailoring, and stitching through the government's Special Skill Development Programs.
"In this regard, Jammu Kashmir Handicrafts and Handloom department is running various training centres in Pulwama district of South Kashmir where experts are imparting training to these educated girls in crewel and embroidery," he said.
"Artisans Credit Card Scheme helps the girls with a loan amount of Rs 2 lakh for 5 years at the annual interest rate of 7 per cent. With this scheme, they (girls) get financial assistance to come up with their own Handloom unit," added Yaseen.
He also informed that there are 20 Handicrafts centres and 4 Handloom Training Centres in Pulwama where girls are being trained in different arts. The duration of these courses is one year and two years.
( With inputs from ANI )
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