The Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has come out with new guidelines for two more schemes which include ‘Pottery Activity’ and ‘Beekeeping Activity'.

A few days ago, the ministry, had announced expanding and doubling the support to Artisans who might be interested in making Agarbatti.

These new initiatives of the Ministry with beneficiary oriented Self-Employment schemes, are aimed at rejuvenating the grass root economy contributing to AtmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

For ‘Pottery Activity’ Government will provide assistance of pottery wheel, Clay Blunger, Granulator etc.

It will also provide Wheel Pottery Training for traditional pottery artisans and Press Pottery training for pottery as well as non-pottery artisans in Self Help Groups.

There is also provision to provide Jigger-Jolly training programme for pottery as well as non-pottery artisan in Self Help Groups.

A total of 6075 Traditional and others (non-traditional) pottery artisans/Rural Un-employed youth/Migrant Labourers will get benefitted from this Scheme.

As Financial support for the year 2020-21, an amount of Rs.19.50 crore will be expended to support 6075 artisans with a Centre of Excellence, with MGIRI, Wardha, CGCRI, Khurja, VNIT, Nagpur and suitable IIT/NID/ NIFT etc, for product development, advance skill programme, and quality standardization of products.

Additional amount of Rs. 50.00 crore has been provisioned for setting up of clusters in Terracotta, Red clay pottery, with new innovative value added products to build pottery to crockery/ tile making capabilities, under ' SFURTI' scheme of the Ministry.

In case of the Scheme for ‘Beekeeping Activity’, Government will provide assistance of Bee boxes, Tool kits etc. Under this scheme, Bee boxes, with Bee colonies, will also be distributed to Migrant workers in Prime Minister Gareeb Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan (PMGKRA) districts. A 5 days’ beekeeping training will also be provided to the beneficiaries through various Training Centres /State Beekeeping Extension Centres/ Master Trainers as per prescribed syllabus;

Ministry officials said that in addition to creating additional income sources through these employment opportunities, the ultimate objective is to make India self-sufficient in these products and also to eventually capture the export markets.

To begin with, Scheme proposes to cover, during 2020-21, a total of 2050 Beekeepers, Entrepreneurs, Farmers, Unemployed Youth, Adivasis will get benefitted from these projects/programme.

For this purpose a financial support of Rs.13.00 crore during 2020-21 has been provisioned to support 2050 artisans ( 1250 people from Self Help Groups and 800 Migrant labourers), with a Centre of Excellence with CSIR/ IIT Or other Top class Institute to develop honey based new value added products.