4 days ago
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After a spread of six years, the Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation Limited (KSHDCL) is acceptable to revive its strategy of providing sandalwood to craftsmen astatine a 50% subsidy to enactment artisans and promote youngsters to instrumentality up the dwindling trade of sandalwood carving, which has historically held a spot of pridefulness successful the State.
The Corporation has announced this nether the Support to Handicrafts Scheme. However, fixed the constricted availability of earthy material, lone a conception of artisans is apt to get the worldly successful the archetypal round.
H.R. Rajappa, managing manager of KSHDCL, said the programme had been stalled owing to a shortage of earthy material. KSHDCL collaborates with the Karnataka Forest Department to procure earthy materials and supply it to artisans. “At present, the marketplace terms for 1 kg of sandalwood is ₹16,000, which volition beryllium provided to the artisans astatine ₹8,000 per kg,” said the managing director.
Mr. Rajappa said that to revive the programme, KSHDCL has procured 1 tonne of sandalwood from Dharwad, Shivamogga and Mysuru, too neighbouring Kerala. The program to revive the strategy was announced by erstwhile Chief Minister Siddaramaiah successful his past Budget.
At present, the corp has 700 registered artisans crossed Karnataka who specialise successful carving artefacts utilizing sandalwood and different woods specified arsenic teak and rosewood.
Mr. Rajappa explained: “While we recognize that each artisan indispensable beryllium supported, astatine contiguous we volition beryllium capable to supply sandalwood to lone 300 artisans. Each artisan volition beryllium fixed 3 to 4 kg of sandalwood astatine a subsidised price. There are task offices belonging to KSHDCL successful each district, and an serviceman is being assigned to bash this job. The artisans tin attack these offices to procure the wood.”
The corp plans to widen the programme and supply wood to the remaining artisans, taxable to the availability of funds.
Though they bash not person nonstop figures, KSHDCL officials hold that determination were thousands of registered artisans immoderate years ago, but the fig has present fallen to a fewer 100 due to the fact that younger generations person moved connected to higher acquisition and jobs that tin marque them socially and economically secure. “But determination are different artisans successful the manufacture who person not registered with america and proceed to work. That fig goes unaccounted,” said an officer.
To supply fiscal information to existing artisans, KSHDCL besides purchases artefacts straight from them. “A committee fixes the terms for each artefact. We acquisition from them and merchantability them successful Cauvery Handicrafts Emporiums crossed the State. The bills are paid successful beforehand to the artisans and not enactment connected hold. Our imaginable customers see firm companies successful India and abroad, overseas tourists and individuals from Karnataka and different states,” said Mr. Rajappa. “We person besides introduced online buying for the convenience of our customers and artisans,” helium added.
