Yearlong 'Fortnight Fair' for handloom & handicraft begins
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, November 16 2022:
With the objective of providing a permanent platform to local weavers and artisans, as well as to keep the Urban Haat at Nilakuthi occupied round the year, Manipur Handloom and Handicraft Development Corporation Limited has commenced a yearlong Fortnight Fair' for handloom and handicraft products at Urban Haat, Nilakuthi from Wednesday onwards.
The inaugural ceremony of the fortnight fair was attended by Manipur Handloom and Handicraft Development Corporation Limited chairman MLA Kh Ibomcha, Handloom & Textiles director K Lamlee Kamei and joint director E Jiten, who is also the managing director of the Corporation, as chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively.
Several award winning artisans and project officers of the corporation also participated in the event.
Speaking on the occasion, MLA Ibomcha pointed out that the Urban Haat has been a venue for MANI-TEX and other fairs for handloom and handicraft products from time to time.
The decision to organise the yearlong fortnight fair was taken with the objective to utilise the facility throughout the year and also to provide a platform to local weavers and artisans for selling their products.
Each episode of the fair will be held for a period of 15 days after which another fair of 15 days will continue without any gap.
This initiative will also provide the people of the state as well as visitors a place to visit and buy handloom and handicraft products, he said.
Regarding the Manipur International Textiles Expo (MANITEX), the MLA said that the expo is gaining popularity gradually and it is also promoting the Urban Haat at Nilakuthi.
The corporation will put more efforts and planning to promote the Urban Haat as a popular destination for shopping handloom and handicraft products.
A proposal has also been submitted to the government for inviting a minister of the ministry concerned in the next MANITEX.
At the same time, the corporation is planning to renovate its office at Paona Keithel with parking spaces in order to develop it into a .shopping hub with special facility for VIPs, he added.
Lamlee Kamei said that the idea behind the fortnight fair was to develop the Nilakuthi Urban Haat like that of Delhi Haat and make it a permanent exhibition venue for handloom and handicraft products.
The department will no longer need to bear additional expenses on hiring venue for MANITEX and other handloom & handicraft fairs and exhibition, he explained.
E Jiten said that a fresh notification inviting ap plication from interested artisans and weavers will be issued seven days prior to the end of the ongoing fortnight fair.
The same policy will apply in future episodes of the fair too, he said, while urging registered weavers and artisans, who have Pehchan Cards and Bank accounts to submit their applications.