SFURTI kicks off from Rajasthan

Jaipur, Jan 3 (UNI) The ambitious Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission was kicked off from Rajasthan today by Governor Pratibha Patil.

The Rs 100 crore piolet project envisage to provide a support system to artisan with the setting up of artisan clusters with facilities of infrastructure, imporved tools and implements, machinaries, design inputs and training programmes for better productivity with improved quality.

On the national level launch of the programme here in Bassi on the outskirts of Jaipur, the Rajasthan governor emphasised the need for promoting khadi and village industries alongwith dairy to alleviate rural poverty by augmenting the income of the people.

The governor said khadi which has been on the wane in the country is on the path of revival with many new initiatives taken by the khadi board and the government emphasising the need for adopting modern marketing techniques to sell the products.

She said Gandhiji's dream of swaraj could be achieved only through the uplift of villages and khadi and dairy development could act as a catalist to achieve this dream, the governor said.

Speaking on the occassion Khadi and Village Industries Commission Chairperson Kumudben Joshi said khadi with improved technology will usher in transformation of the villages. She said khadi has carved a niche for itself in the world by adapting to the taste of the younger generation and the adoption of new technologies would help in improved quality and income of the artisans.

She said there was the crying need for modernisation in this sector to improve the income and standard of living of the artisans with adoption of improved technology.

The governor distributed 200 modern looms and scholarship to 82 children of the weavers with Rs 1,100 under Janshree Bhima Yojana.

Two kins of the weavers were also given away death insurence claim of Rs 25,000 each.

UNI