Yogi, Naqvi inaugurate Lucknow 'Hunar Haat'

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Saturday inaugurated the 12-day 'Hunar Haat' in Lucknow which seeks to provide employment opportunities and market exposure to artisans, craftsmen and traditional culinary experts. On the occassion, Adityanath said the traditional art of the master artisans of the country is being enthusiastically projected through the 'Hunar Haat'.

He said the Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken several steps to strengthen, preserve and promote India's indigenous traditional legacy of master artisans and craftsmen. 'Hunar Haat' provides a new and effective platform to the traditional skills of the artisans in the country, the chief minister said.

Adityanath congratulated Naqvi for this move and said the Centre and the UP government are extending help to the artisans to promote their traditional talent. Speaking on the occasion, Naqvi said 'Hunar Haat' has proved to be an effective and successful mission to preserve and promote India's indigenous traditional legacy which was on the verge of extinction.

It promotes traditional arts and provides employment opportunities to thousands of artisans, including a large number of women, the Union minister said. He said over 2 lakh master artisans, craftsmen and culinary experts have been provided employment in the last 3 years.

Artisans and craftsmen from across the country are participating in Lucknow's 'Hunar Haat'. In an official statement issued here, the UP chief minister also said his government will make a big announcement for One District-One Product (ODOP) entrepreneurs on the state's foundation day on January 24.

"This announcement will attract large number of investors to the state," Adityanath added. The ODOP scheme aims to encourage such indigenous and specialized products and crafts in UP that are found nowhere else, including the 'Kala Namak' rice, wheat-stalk craft, chikankari and zari-zardozi work on clothes, according to the scheme's website.

The chief minister said in the statement that UP's export has increased by 28 per cent in last one year due to the state's traditional enterprise. Adityanath said it is the result of the schemes by the state government and the Centre that Moradabad is now exporting products worth Rs 6,000 crore, while Bhadohi is exporting carpet worth Rs 4,000 crore.