Chief Minister attended the swearing-in ceremony of the newly appointed Chairperson of Chhattisgarh Handicraft Development Board, Shalini Rajput
The Chief Minister distributed grants to handicraftsmen under the Tool Equipment Scheme
Raipur, 03 May 2025: Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai today attended the swearing-in ceremony of the newly appointed Chairperson of Chhattisgarh Handicraft Development Board, Shalini Rajput, organized at Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Auditorium in the capital Raipur. On this occasion, the Chief Minister said that there are immense possibilities of handicraft development in Chhattisgarh. The artworks here are in demand even abroad. The government is committed to provide market to the handicraft products of Chhattisgarh and to get the artisans a fair price for their skills. The Chief Minister distributed grants of five thousand rupees to the handicraftsmen under the Tool Equipment Scheme. Chief Minister Sai congratulated and wished the newly appointed Chairperson of Chhattisgarh Crafts Development Board, Shalini Rajput, on assuming office and said that under her leadership, the Chhattisgarh Handicraft Development Board will work for the betterment of the artisans. He said that handicraftsmen are doing very good work in every area of Chhattisgarh. During Sushasan Tihar, I got a chance to visit Shilpgram in Kondagaon. There I met the craftsmen and saw their art closely. Similarly, in Ektal of Raigarh, craftsmen make artifacts from metal. In Bastar, beautiful wooden figures are made from woodcraft. The skill of handicraftsmen is amazing in the entire state. Today, in this program, the beautiful cap that was presented to me was made from Chhind and bronze. In Kotampani, near our village in Jashpur, very beautiful artifacts are made from Chhind and bronze.
Chief Minister Sai said that there is a need to provide more and more training to the craftsmen. It is very important that handicraft work is mostly done in rural areas. Therefore, through handicraft development, we can provide employment to the villagers on a very large scale. I hope that the Handicraft Development Board will work in this direction and will provide training to the craftsmen as well as maximum loan-subsidy and provide them employment. The Chief Minister said that Kondagaon’s Dokra art is in demand abroad. It is important that the craftsmen get a fair price for their products along with the market. Without middlemen, handicraftsmen should have direct access to the market so that they get maximum benefit. Chief Minister Sai said that it is a matter of great happiness that Pandi Ram Manjhi of Garhbengal in Chhattisgarh has been awarded Padma Shri. The art of Chhattisgarh is the pride of our country, it should get recognition all over the world. Assembly Speaker Dr. Raman Singh said that the artists of Chhattisgarh have wonders in their hands. Whether it is clay toys or bell metal, embroidery, tattooing and terracotta, the handicraftsmen of the state are making very beautiful products of their art. Handicrafts of Chhattisgarh should participate in national and international level exhibitions. Our craftsmen have natural talent. There is also a need to involve designers for large scale production of handicrafts. On this occasion, Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Rajwada, MP Kamlesh Jangde, MLA Dharamlal Kaushik, Sunil Soni, Asharam Netam, Gajendra Yadav, Chairmen of various Corporations-Boards-Commissions, Managing Director of Chhattisgarh Handicraft Development Board JP Maurya and many other dignitaries were present.
