'Uttarakhand to set up rural Haats with Nabard's help'

To promote crafts in the state, Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Tuesday had said the Uttarakhand government would set up rural Haat (market places) with the support of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development.

Inaugurating a national handloom expo at Parade Ground here, the Chief Minister had said to enhance entrepreneur skills among the youths, the government will also identify places where special training programmes will be launched.

Rawat said rural artisans do not have the wherewithal to connect themselves to the market. Provision for permanent marketing centres, such as rural Haat, would help them bridge the inadequacies.

Rawat also said the government would provide land at Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Hemkund and other tourist areas to set up rural Haat.

Rawat said his government had come out with a special policy for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to benefit the youth. He said people should take benefit of the policy and set up small industries.

Later talking to Business Standard, Sudhir Nautiyal, additional secretary of the department of MSMEs said objective of setting up such haats was to provide better marketing facilities and enable the rural people to sell their products in such centres.