Smriti Irani assures Assam MP Khaleque of Centre's help to preserve state's bell metal industry

BARPETA: Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani today wrote to Barpeta MP Abdul Khaleque and assured the Centre's support to "promote traditional art and craft in Assam." Khalqeue had earlier raised the issue on the Floor of the Lok Sabha

"As per the available records in the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), with a view to supporting artisans of Bell Metal, a Raw Material Bank was set up at Sarthebari of Barpeta district of Assam which has given benefit to around 1465 artisans. under AHVY scheme in the year 2016-17 benefit given to 500 artisans in Sarthebari cluster," Smriti Irani wrote in a letter to the Congress MP dated December 18. Khaleque posted the letter on his official Twitter account moments earlier today.

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The Union Minister further informed him that an Integrated Design and Development Programme was conducted by Central Cottage Industries of India Ltd., under the North East Textiles Promotion Scheme (NERTPS) of Ministry of Textiles in Sarthebari district of Assam in the year 2018-19. The Minister claimed that this benefitted around 40 artisans.

Appreciating Khaleque's concern for the Bell Metal Artisans of Barpeta, Irani assured him that his suggestion in this matter "will be taken into consideration while preparing/implementing schemes/programs of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) for the North-East region."

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