Handicrafts & Handloom Dept to provide impetus to Copper Craft

Srinagar, Mar 16: The Copper Workers Trade Union Wednesday called on the Director Handicrafts & Handloom Kashmir, Mahmood Ahmad Shah and put forth their grievances regarding the ban on the machine made copperware.
Copperware is not only one of the basic crafts but acclaimed national as well as international markets for different utilities.
To promote the genuine handicrafts in general and Copperware in particular, the Director apprised the representatives about the activities of the department on all horizons to promote the authentic handmade copperware. He assured that the task of identifying fraudulent artisans and manufacturers of the copperware by the Quality Control Division shall be taken up on priority.
On prompt directions the machine made copper items were seized by the quality control wing from different areas of the Srinagar city.
Shah reiterated that the department is initiating the hologram labeling mechanism on handmade copperware items which shall certify the genuine copperware.
Meanwhile, on the spot directions were passed to the officers of the department to facilitate mass registrations of the artisans in the craft concentrated areas. The active artisans shall be supported to form the cooperatives so that they can harness the benefit from the departmental schemes.
The Director briefed the participants that the department is actively following the Geographical Identification (GI) certification of the craft on a war footing basis for the left out crafts of Kashmir.
The GI certified crafts have made the crafts more interconnected than ever before and has led to improved product selection and awareness of genuine crafts.
In the meeting, it was also explored that the Department is actively engaged in the procedures to bring the handmade copperware craft along with other crafts in the ambient of GI Act.