Goa handicrafts corp back in black, introduces new schemes

After incurring a huge loss of Rs 1.23 crore during the fiscal year 2005-06, the Goa Handicrafts, Rural and Small Scale Industries Development Corporation (GHRSSID) managed to uplift its profit by a mere 8 lakh for the 2006-07 and is expecting a profit of Rs 50 lakh this fiscal.

Undeterred by its losses over the last few years, the Goa Handicrafts Rural and Small Scale Industries Development Corporation (GHRSSIDC) is now making vigorous efforts to expand its sphere of activities.

It has drawn up quite a few interesting plans by introducing several new schemes for the benefit of SSI units and Goan artisans. It also has plans to institute state awards for eminent Goan handicrafts artisans.

Besides, it has now initiated steps to boost the turnover of the corporation and also help generate employment in the state by expanding and diversifying its activities and with little help from the government, says Gururdas Gawas, chairman of the GHRSSID.

"Our basic mandate is to help the artisans and small entrepreneurs to make a turn-a-round and thereby make few profit-making entities of the state government," he added.

Gawas further said that the sale of handicraft has registered an increase of 25 per cent during the financial year 2006-07, with a turnover of Rs 1 crore. The corporation has set a target of sale of Rs 2 crore in the present fiscal and has taken various steps to achieve the target.

The corporation is also contemplating to add three more emporia to its existing strength of 10 in the state. The first of the three emporia would be opened on August 24 in New Delhi, while the two others would be opened at Agra and Jaipur in Rajasthan respectively future.

It has moved a proposal to the state government to issue directives to various departments like PWD, Electricity, Water Resources, etc to compulsorily procure steel items from GHRSSIDC.

"This in turn would help us to boost its income and the resultant profit would then be diversified for creating employment opportunities and helping the state artisans." Gawas said.

Considering the great demand for local cashewnuts everywhere, Gawas said, "There was a plan to help unemployed (particularly women) start at least 10 cashewnut processing units in the state and procure the products from such units and then market them at the corporations emporia."

He further said there is a proposal for development of the area and addition of various facilities within the GHRSSIDC complex at Neuginagar into a crafts and cultural zone on a public private partnership, which would help attract tourists and increase sale of handicrafts items.