Srinagar, Nov 26 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Tuesday said the government is working on integrating crafts into tourism and positioning the union territory as a prime cultural destination to attract international visitors and strengthen the local economy.
Sinha attended the 60th anniversary celebration of the World Crafts Council (WCC) at SKICC here.
In his address, the Lieutenant Governor extended his felicitations to all the delegates and artisans.
He commended the efforts of the Ministry of Textiles, Ministry of External Affairs, Department of Industries & Commerce J-K, WCC to celebrate the rich traditions of handicrafts, handloom and to bring together distinguished artisans, designers, creative leaders and other stakeholders from across the globe.
Sinha highlighted the significant steps taken by the government to unlock the tremendous potential of handloom and handicrafts sector in the UT of J-K.
“My dream is to make ‘Made in Jammu Kashmir’ creative products famous and an integral part of the households across the world. Our aim is to also focus on global cooperation and improve people’s connect for these priceless artistic and cultural heritage of India,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor reiterated the commitment of the government for integrated development with a specific focus on increasing employment opportunities across the Union Territory and export promotion of handloom and handicraft products.
“We are also working on integrating crafts into tourism and positioning Jammu Kashmir as a prime cultural destination to attract international visitors and providing a fillip to the tourism industry in order to strengthen the local economy,” Sinha said.
He called for active participation of all the artisans at the grassroots levels to make J-K self-reliant.
He also assured all the support and assistance from the government to the artisans and entrepreneurs to address their legitimate concerns to further promote the growth and competitiveness of handloom and handicrafts sector.
The Lieutenant Governor also paid homage to Indian craft pioneer and one of the founders of World Crafts Council Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay and recalled her important contribution to promotion of handicrafts and cooperative grassroots movements for social and economic upliftment of women and crafts-people.
The LG visited the craft exhibition and inspected the stalls put up by the local, national and international artisans. He also felicitated the Artisans who have excelled in their respective areas of crafts. World Crafts Council City Book highlighting the milestone of 60 years of its journey was also released.PTI SSB NB NB
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