EPCH SEEKS HANDICRAFTS UNITS TO BE ALLOWED TO OPERATE IN CRAFT CLUSTERS

NEW DELHI – 15TH APRIL, 2020 – Government of India has extended the lockdown till May 3, 2020 to break the chain of spreading of corona virus, issued guidelines for allowing certain activities to mitigate the hardship of public. These guidelines will come into effect from 20th April 2020 and will be operationalized by states / union territories and district administrations based on strict compliance to the existing guidelines on lock down measures.

The Government has offered some relief with respect to movement, loading, unloading of goods/cargo and inclusion of Courier services, informed Shri Rakesh Kumar, Director General – EPCH.

Shri Ravi K. Passi, Chairman – EPCH said, while EPCH thanked the Government for allowing certain manufacturing and industrial units to operate in SEZ and EOU, Industrial estates and industrial township thus kickstarting the production and economic activity in the country, however, have completely left out the cottage sector. The council has approached the Government to provide relief to handicrafts units operational in handicrafts clusters like Moradabad, Saharanpur, Agra, Firozabad, Narsapur, Jaipur, Jodhpur etc. and also consider including them in the guidelines as a large number of artisans and craftpersons are engaged in production of handicrafts products of home, lifestyle, fashion, furniture and textiles exclusively for the overseas markets

These handicrafts units are registered with District Industries Centre (DIC) and have the valid RCMC of the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts and their inclusion would certainly help handicrafts sector which is one of the employment generating, foreign exchange earning sector of the Indian economy, elaborated Shri Kumar, DG – EPCH.