KVIC Created Employment Friendly Ecosystem in Himachal

KVIC have created a deployment generating ecosystem in the remote areas of Himachal Pradesh. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) early in this year made a detailed study about the plights of Himachal Pradesh village potters and then came up with a full-proof plan to increase the income of the potters in multiple with negligible drudgery.

It was the dream coming true for 38-year-old Rajesh Kumar of potters-dominated Hasol village. Like the other inhabitants of this sleepy hamlet in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh – completely dependent on pottery – he too was struggling for existence as despite heavy drudgery they were unable to meet his both ends for his family consisting nine members. With six of them involved in terracotta-making, he could not increase his overall family’s annual income from paltry Rs 36,000, i.e. less than Rs 20 a day per person. But, after the distribution of Electric Potter Wheels, Pug-Mills and Blungers – for Rajesh and other the struggling Hasol villagers – gloomy days are over now!

KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena informed that 40 potters from Hasol (Kangra district) and 20 each from Tikkar (district Bilaspur), Dhurkhadi (district Mandi) and Sundarnagar (district Mandi) were first trained in different phases on Electric Potter Wheels. “Thereafter, we provided them Electric Potter Wheels, which will not increase their annual income 3-4 times, but also save them from the bad consequences of heavy physical labour – earlier needed in traditional pottery,” he said.

In the recent survey of these villages, it was found a see-change in the living standard of these villagers. “Not only apparent sense of security is reflecting from our faces, even our kids have started playing with the clay in the evening time,” said Ramesh of Hasol village, adding, “Few of our kids are the real child prodigies. Besides playing snake-and-ladder and other indoor and outdoor games, they have derived a new game of terracotta-making in their off times.”

It may be noted that KVIC has so far distributed more than 10,000 Electric Potter Wheels across the country from Leh-Ladakh regions to Remotest areas of Assam– after providing them proper training - which has created jobs for over 45,000 potters - who were at the receiving till few years ago. Since the distribution of these Electric Potter Wheels will increase production of terracotta products like; kulhads and glasses in many folds and they might face marketing challenges, KVIC is also looking for providing bigger marketing canvass for the potters.