The Chief Minister , Mehbooba Mufti after jointly inaugurating the first-ever National Khadi Exhibition with Union MSME Minister, Kalraj Mishra, addressing a gathering, here today sought greater financial support and technical knowhow from the Centre in revitalizing the state’s industrial sector referring to the huge potential of micro, small and medium enterprises in employment generation .

Seeking Centre’s support in promotion of famed handicrafts of the State, Mehbooba Mufti vouched for cluster approach for which, she said detailed discussions have been held with the Union Minister. She urged Kalraj Mishra to pay special attention towards this sector, which has a huge export market overseas.

The Chief Minister also spoke about the efforts made to revive the cross-LoC trade at Chakan da Bagh, in Poonch and Salamabad, in Uri, Baramulla, by navigating to the banking system of operation from barter trade.

She also spoke about broadening the scope of LoC commerce by incorporating more tradable items in the approved list as well as opening additional crossing points to boost travel across the LoC.

The MSME Minister, in his address, said that the khadi exhibition will help young industrialists to find buyers for their products. The Union Government will extend all possible help to the young entrepreneurs in the State and also referred to his meeting with the Chief Minister in which issues of skill development and promotion of MSME sector were discussed in detail.

After inaugurating the exhibition, the Chief Minister, along with the Union Minister, went around the stalls and interacted with the entrepreneurs, particularly inquiring about the marketing and institutional support extended to them.

The Chief Minister discussed with Kalraj Mishra the need for enhancement of target under PMEGP (Prime Minister’s Employment Guarantee Programme) from 1500 to 4000. She said that the credit-linked scheme is quite popular in rural areas and increase in target will enable more entrepreneurs to establish self-sustaining industrial units.

Mehbooba Mufti also highlighted the need for broadening the scope of ‘SFURTI’ (Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries) in J&K, which aims at making traditional industries like hand-spun, hand-woven and silk varieties more productive and competitive and also urged the Union Minister to expedite clearance of 37 identified clusters for village industry like crewel, sozni, namda, gabba, chain-stitch, silk reeling, willow wicker and honey processing.