NE Kadhi village industries increase its production

Aizawl, Sep 12: There has been a considerable increase in production and employment generation in the Khadi and Village Industries (KVI) sector in the North Eastern region.

The village industries, which is being set up in the hilly and backward areas, recorded about ten per cent increase in its production in the areas such as pottery, bee keeping, processing of cereals and pulses, fibre, fruit and vegetable processing industries, soap, activities like carpentry and blacksmithy and also khadi and polyvastra, the official sources here today informed.

The KVIC programme for rural industrialisation is also expected to further increase the earnings of artisans, weavers, spinners and individual entrepreneurs and also output of high quality KVI goods from this region.

This will help to reduce drudgery in the labour intensive activities, ensure optimum utilisation of locally available raw materials and the upgradation of skill of artisans.

Apart from this, to further strengthen the KVI in the region, the Union Ministry of Agro and Rural Industries (ARI) has earmarked separate budget allocation for KVI programmes.

Centre has released Rs 31.54 crore till January 2006, while for the period 2006-07, a budget provision of Rs 60.60 crore has been made.

Besides this, a total of 1475 persons were given training during the current fiscal.

The ARI is implementing a number of developmental schemes in the NE Region through the KVIC and the Coir Board.

The various schemes under implementation include the PMRY and the REGP, the sources added.

UNI