The wooden toys industry of Punjab is seeking government support post the COVID pandemic to help the industry flourish again.
One of the many toys shops on the way to Sangrur from Chandigarh is that of Gurpreet Singh. He both makes and sells these wooden toys at his shop.
In conversation with ANI, Gurpreet said that his family has been making wooden toys ever since 1994, but "due to COVID, 90 per cent of work was stopped."
"We are now getting back to normal but 50 per cent is still not on the line. The government needs to approve and recognize this work; only then we will ace the field," said the toy merchant.
Claiming that wooden toys are not found anywhere in the world, Gurpreet said that Punjab can manufacture and export them as brand India.
"We have exported to the United States on our level, on-demand, but we need a regulatory. This work should be brought under GST," he said.
Coming from a backward village, Gurpreet reiterated that if the government supports them, then every youth of Punjab can gain from the business.
Courses and workshops should also be started, this field of work can feed a whole village. I can spend my life teaching this skill, said the toy merchant.
"China has a toy business worth thousands of crores in India but the situation in Punjab is that we have more wooden toys in every house than Chinese toys; we are China in terms of toys," he added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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