Guwahati: The Assam government on Monday said it will revive the defunct Raw Material Bank at Hajo to support the state’s traditional bell metal industry, which has been grappling with rising raw material costs, increasing production expenses and a shortage of skilled artisans.
Replying to a starred question by MLA Prakash Chandra Das during the Assam Legislative Assembly session, Industries, Commerce and Public Enterprises Minister Bimal Bora said the government is reviewing measures to revive the centuries-old craft and address the challenges affecting the sector.
Bora told the House that the Industries Department had established a Common Facility Centre (CFC) at Hajo and constituted a Cluster Management Committee to support bell metal artisans. Financial assistance has also been extended under the Micro and Small Enterprises-Cluster Development Programme (MSE-CDP) with support from the Centre and the state government.
The minister said artisans are also being supported through schemes such as the PM Vishwakarma Scheme, the Chief Minister’s Atmanirbhar Assam Abhiyan (CMAAA) and the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) to improve livelihoods and access to financial assistance.
Responding to a query on securing a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Hajo’s bell metal products, Bora said the application must be submitted by a recognised producers’ association, society or legally constituted organisation to the Registrar of Geographical Indications along with the prescribed documents. He added that the concerned producer body could initiate the registration process.
Bora also informed the Assembly that the Raw Material Bank, established earlier with financial assistance of Rs 75 lakh from the Centre and the state government, had become non-functional over time. He said the government would take steps to revive and operationalise the facility.
However, the minister said no budgetary allocation has been made in the current financial year for setting up a modern design and training centre in Hajo to attract young artisans and improve product design. He added that the proposal could be considered in the future if the need arises.