Apart from the financial assistance from the government, now these craftsmen will be able to expand their business by taking easy loan from the bank. Punjab and Sind Bank has made an action plan to give easy loans to 5000 terracotta craftsmen of Gorakhpur. The bank has a target of providing loan of Rs 25 crore to the craftsmen. The bank will work closely with the Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) of Uttar Pradesh for this.
Bank officials met CM Yogi
Punjab and Sind Bank has separately met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Additional Chief Secretary MSME Navneet Sehgal about its action plan to provide loans to the terracotta craftsmen of Gorakhpur. Those who met the Chief Minister and ACS in Lucknow on Tuesday included Dr. Ramjas Yadav, Executive Director of Punjab and Sind Bank, Vinay Khandelwal, Deputy General Manager, Vinay Kumar Ojha, Chief Manager and Anchal Srivastava, Chief Manager.
Yogi told the characteristics of terracotta
During this, CM Yogi informed the bank officials in detail about the specialty of the special soil craft terracotta of Gorakhpur. Also told how after joining ODOP, terracotta is gaining ground today at the global level. With the support of ODOP, there is such a demand for terracotta products with the craftsmen that they are not getting any time. This is also increasing employment on a large scale.
ACS MSME Navneet Sehgal told the delegation of the bank that according to the mantra of self-reliance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, ODOP scheme is playing a big role in economic progress and employment generation by promoting a specific craft or product in every district of the state. . He said that ODOP is such a vision of CM Yogi, which has written a golden chapter of self-reliance for the economy and the skilled people of Uttar Pradesh.
‘Terracotta craftsmen making more than a thousand products’
Sehgal said that today the terracotta craftsmen of Gorakhpur are making about a thousand types of products and there is a tremendous demand for these products. Terracotta has also got the GI (Geographical Indication) tag due to the efforts of the government. He appreciated the management of Punjab and Sind Bank for the action plan to give loans to terracotta craftsmen and said that this would go a long way in helping the craftsmen to scale their business to new heights. On this occasion, Dr. Ramjas Yadav, Executive Director, Punjab and Sind Bank said that the ODOP scheme has become a door-to-door identity due to the efforts of the Government of Uttar Pradesh. He expressed happiness over working closely with the MSME department of the state in the direction of providing loans for terracotta craftsmen.
ODOP changed lives in four years
The ODOP scheme was started by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in 2018. The aim was to strengthen the economy of the state by bringing economic strength in the lives of the craftsmen making special types of crafts or products in the district. Under this scheme, special traditional product in every district of the state was declared as ODOP product of that district.
Terracotta boom on e commerce platform
Clay products made from terracotta craft in Gorakhpur included in ODOP. After joining ODOP, Terracotta has grown day and night quadruple. Once the craftsmen started turning their backs on this art due to lack of market for these products, today they have five months advance order. The government has made their work easy by giving them electric chalk, pugmill etc., then aggressive marketing and branding has taken terracotta to the markets of the country and the world. Terracotta products are also available for sale on online platforms of various e-commerce companies. Compared to 2017, the number of people earning employment from terracotta crafts has increased almost ten times.
Source: navbharattimes.indiatimes.com
: Language Inputs
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