The Government has raised the pension for Varanasi artisans, known for making wooden toys, hand-embroidered zari-zardozi work and meenakari , from ₹1,000 to ₹2,000 a month. Further, the artisans who have received national awards, national merit certificate and Shilp Guru, an award conferred on master craftspersons by the Government, will get ₹20,000 a year for rail travel, Minister of State for Textiles, Santosh Kumar Gangwar, announced in Varanasi on Friday.

Launching programmes for handicraft development in Varanasi, the constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gangwar said the Government would ensure skill development of 5,000 carpet weavers, along with five-month integrated design development for wooden toys, among other things.

The Minister said marketing and design inputs were the biggest challenge for the unorganised handicrafts sector, which is why this initiative would offer support artisans in terms of latest design inputs, technological innovations and marketing support.

Dinesh Kumar, Development Commissioner (Handloom), said efforts were also being made to ensure that all artisans were issued identity cards and had bank accounts under the recently launched Jan Dhan Yojana.

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