Visa keep Pak carpets away from Carpet Expo

Varanasi, Oct 13: Owing to visa restrictions, tuffted and hand-knotted carpets from Pakistan will not be able to compete with their Indian ones at the three-day India Carpet Expo, starting here tomorrow.

Chairman of Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC) V R Sharma told newspersons here last night that three carpet exporters from Pakistan, owing to Visa constraints, will not be able to attend the fair due to visa constraints.

''Since the last two years, Pakistani carpet exporters were participating at this premier carpet expo of the country, but owing to visa restrictions, three premier carpet makers from across the LoC will not be able to attend the expo,'' Mr Sharma added.

At least 135 premier buyers from 25 countries will attend the expo, which will serve as the biggest annual carpet fair in the country. A maximum of 35 US importers will lead the global buyer bracket, followed by Germany (25), Australia (10), South Africa (nine), Belgium (six), Denmark (eight), Spain (eight), United Kingdom (four), Brazil (five), Mr Sharma informed.

A 5,000 square metre area has been reserved at the Maharaja Lawns at Hotel Taj Ganges here, for the carpet fair, including 3,200 square metre for the stalls of exporters from across the country, up from 1700 square metre area of last year, he added.

The fair, which from now on, will be held every year at Varanasi, will be inaugurated by Union Minister of Textiles Shankersinh Vaghela. The fair will be preceded this evening by the distribution of export awards for excellence in carpet export for the year 2003-04 and 2004-05, where Mr Vaghela will be the chief guest.

The carpet expo will be followed by a carpet exhibition in Rambag Palace Hotel in Jaipur on October 17 and 18, to be attended by 46 premier buyers who will participate in the India Carpet Expo.

UNI