Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana

• 29 Oct 2020

Why in News

Recently, electric pottery wheels to 100 potter families in Maharashtra were distributed under the Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana (KSY) of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).

Key Points

• Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana (KSY) was launched in 2018.
• Aim: To strengthen and improve the living of potters in the country by making them self reliant (Atma Nirbhar).
• Features: Providing potters with modern equipment and training to reconnect them with the society and revive their art.
• Implementation: KVIC has created proper marketing channels including tie-up with the Indian Railway for selling the products of potters.
• Benefits: Proper training and distribution of advanced equipment under the scheme has eliminated drudgery from the process of pottery making and also resulted in increasing the production by 3-4 times.
  
  • This has led to an increase in income of potters manifolds.
• Other Initiatives for Potters: The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has announced expansion of and doubling of support to potters. This include:
  
  • Encouraging successful traditional potters to set up units under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) scheme.
    
    • PMEGP is a credit-linked subsidy scheme which promotes self-employment through setting up of micro-enterprises.
  • Setting up of clusters in Terracotta, Red clay pottery, with new innovative value added products to build pottery to crockery/tile making capabilities under the SFURTI scheme.
    
    • The Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) aims to make traditional industries more productive and competitive by organizing the traditional industries and artisans into clusters.

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)

• KVIC is a statutory body established under the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act, 1956.
• The KVIC is charged with the planning, promotion, organisation and implementation of programmes for the development of Khadi and other village industries in the rural areas in coordination with other agencies engaged in rural development wherever necessary.
• It functions under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

Source: PIB