NE handicrafts & handloom get a fillip via fairs

GUWAHATI, May 9 ? The North Eastern Handicrafts & Handlooms Development Corporation (NEH & HDC), generated a sale of more than Rs 6 crore 20 lakh as against the target of Rs 6 crore through handicrafts and handloom during the year 2001-2002, stated a PIB release. The Corporation conducted 54 exhibitions and several North East Crafts? fairs and participated in the Industrial Trade Fairs along with the retail sales of handloom of corporation in Shillong, Guwahati, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai and Delhi. The Corporation is also implementing UNDP Cane & Bamboo Design Development Project covering 17 cane and bamboo handicrafts clusters in the North East region with the involvement of 11 designers trained from National Institute of Designs, Ahmedabad and National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi. Altogether, 19 workshops were conducted this year. The production of new designs developed under the programme specially in Barpeta and Mawsynram has already started and is being marketed through NEHHDC. Under this programme, special tool-kits have been developed for handicraft sector and 50 sets of improved tools have been distributed to various craft clusters, departmental training centres. The Corporation has also proposed to set up one common facility centre in each State where a whole range of bamboo and cane processing machine will be set up to help the crafts persons to improve their productivity. The Corporation, under a special programme, called ?Support for Development of Entrepreneurs of North Eastern Region,? intends to provide training to crafts persons and weavers in 48 clusters. NEHHDC deputed some of the officials to Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia for market survey of the cane industry.