Govt evaluates centres supporting artisansTNN

Lucknow: To increase number of artisans, weavers and micro entrepreneurs, state govt reviewed 16 Common Facility Centre (CFC) projects under the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme on Tuesday. Officials said chief minister Yogi Adityanath had raised concerns that benefits of several CFCs were reaching only a few.

CFCs are being set up with 90% govt subsidy and 10% contribution from entrepreneurs, providing access to machinery, testing, design support, training and tools.

MSME and handloom minister Rakesh Sachan directed to increase awareness about the centres.

Display citizen charters will list services. Projects in Ambedkar Nagar, Moradabad, Sambhal, Varanasi, Khurja, Agra, Meerut, Saharanpur, Bareilly, Ayodhya and Ghaziabad were reviewed. Ambedkar Nagar weaver CFC, built with Rs 4 crore, would focus on increasing number of weavers at the facility.

At Banaras Silk Products CFC, with Rs 9 crore assistance, artisans raised issues related to electricity supply, yarn prices, market competition and technology. Officials said state extended flat-rate electricity scheme for weavers to bear electricity expenses of nearly Rs 44 crore between 2006 and Mar 31, 2023.

At engineering and tool room CFC in Ghaziabad, officials said facilities such as CNC machines, 3D printing, material testing and skill training were available and 500 youths were trained.

Physical Vapor Deposition plant in Moradabad and button industry CFC in Sambhal were reviewed and officials said over 70% of the facility’s capacity was being used. In Khurja, more than 1,253 beneficiaries were linked to black pottery CFC and turnover increased from Rs 15-20 lakh to nearly Rs 90-95 lakh. Artisans demanded land for clay storage.

Saharanpur wood craft, Agra leather cluster and jaggery processing CFCs in Bareilly and Meerut were reviewed. Meerut project had connected around 1,800 farmers.

Officials were directed to hold Udyog Bandhu meetings on CFC premises and link small enterprises with larger industrial units and markets.