Govt plans direct transfer of funds to artisans' bank accounts after complaints

The government is looking at direct transfer of funds to the bank accounts of artisans instead of routing it through cooperatives and NGOs after receiving "complaints" over the money not reaching the intended beneficiaries, Union Minister Smriti Irani said today.

Addressing a summit here, the textiles minister said every year between governments at the Centre and states, over Rs 1,000 crore is spent to support handicraft artisans.

She pointed out that till now, the pathway for ensuring those benefits reach the artisans was that the government would design a particular programme, thereafter the ministry of Finance would allocate money for it, and the Textiles Ministry would discharge the funds to the interested artisans' cooperatives, NGOs with an assurance of disbursing it.

"We would ask artisans' cooperatives, NGOs to come forward, tell us in which state, which district to work in, we will give you the money because there is an assurance that the artisan will collect it through you, and suddenly one finds that all that money is going to those organisations but not reaching the artisans," Irani said.

The minister said that after finding out that the money was not reaching the artisans, she had to sit back and ask every organisation that has every year taken those thousands of crores for an explanation that if this much money has gone into the system, why is it that our artisans are still facing challenges.

"... So as per Prime Minister's clarion call now we say that if an artisan wants money, you make sure it goes directly to their bank account and does not go through any other organisation, any NGO," Irani said.