CHANDRANAGAR, 19 Jul: Legislative Assembly Speaker PD Sona on Tuesday urged the state office of the Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC) to focus more on rural areas, saying that “there is no dearth of talent and skills among the people in the villages.”
Highlighting the challenges faced by the people living in the rural areas, such as lack of basic amenities, employment opportunity, etc, “which compels them to migrate to urban or semi-urban places,” the speaker said that “the KVIC can play a major role in providing much-needed employment opportunities to people in rural areas.”
Sona was speaking at a function to distribute agarbatti (incense)-making machines to the beneficiaries under the polymer & chemical-based industries and the Gramodhyog Vikas Yojana at the Arunachal Pradesh KVIB (APKVIB) complex here.
The programme was organised by the APKVIB to enable local artisans to establish their own incense manufacturing units to generate income.
Applauding the KVIC for the initiative, the speaker said, “It is a small yet significant step to help out the local people to generate their own income.”
He urged the commission to carry out “beneficiary identification throughout the state and ensure that only genuine people are given the benefits.” He also urged the beneficiaries to “make optimum use of the machine for enhancing their economy and not let it rot in a corner.”
MLA Ojing Tasing also requested the KVIC to “explore more self-employment avenues in rural areas and help locals use their skills to earn livelihood.”
“Village industries can empower the local youths and women SHGs, and create employment at their doorsteps,” the MLA added.
Earlier, KVIC-NEZ member Duyu Tamo highlighted the role and schemes of the KVIC. He informed that the commission aims to “boost the local agarbatti industry, which is a key employment generator in many parts of the country.”
“The KVIC also supports turning woodcraft, agarbatti-making and agro- and food-based industries like pickle-making, etc,” he said.
The function was attended by, among others, APKVIB Chairman Dominic Tadar and state KVIC Director Aman Deep.
