CM Yogi lays the foundation stone of flatted factory in Agra and Kanpur

New Delhi: While crediting artisans and craftsmen for the state’s development, the chief minister emphasised the need to enhance the quality of products in order for Uttar Pradesh to be well-represented internationally.

“The challenge we have today is to prove the ‘superiority’ and ‘originality’ of our products. We’ll be known worldwide once we start creating the best products with our 90 lakh MSME units. In this regard, we need to start giving our items’ quality, designing, and packaging more consideration,” said Yogi Adityanath during the MSME and handicrafts award distribution function organised on the occasion of Vishwakarma Jayanti.

The CM also honoured entrepreneurs, artisans and workers for their exceptional work in the MSME and handicrafts sectors at the event. For the last three years, the ceremony could not been planned due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Besides, the CM laid the foundation stone for flatted factories in Agra and Kanpur.

The Chief Minister stated: “Today is the birthdays of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the builder of contemporary India, and Lord Vishwakarma, the creator of the universe. I congratulate you all on this special occasion. You artisans, workers and entrepreneurs are empowering India to become self-reliant through your efforts”, he said.

The CM asserted that UP is moving forward in the right direction today as a result of the combined efforts of artisans and craftsmen. “People now have faith in the state, and investors from around the world are starting to view Uttar Pradesh as the right destination.”

The CM continued, “Although our artisans had the necessary talents in the past, their products lacked timely packaging and design. Additionally, the government offered them no assistance and anyone who wished to take action was discouraged by the numerous restrictions placed on him.”

However, as of right now, we have taken forward all the programs for handicraftsmen through Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojana, he added.

Mentioning the two major schemes run by his government—the One District One Product (ODOP) and Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojana, the CM maintained, “We started giving training for enhancing the quality of the products as well as the design and packaging. We also arranged a fixed honorarium for the craftsmen during the training and also provided them with toolkits.”

Who would have believed that the terracotta of Gorakhpur, the brass products from Moradabad, the glass of Firozabad, the perfume of Kannauj, the locks of Aligarh, the carpets of Bhadohi, the crafts of Saharanpur and the handicrafts of Varanasi will be recognised globally due to the schemes of the government, the CM added.

The CM launched a stinging attack on the previous administrations, claiming that Azamgarh, which was formerly thought to be a terrorist stronghold, is now renowned globally for its black pottery.

The CM went on to say that the 40 lakh migrant workers who came back during the pandemic period became a ‘man power’ for the state, rather than creating a disorder.

“Today’s situation in UP is one of outstanding law and order, employment creation and industrial investment. In the past two and a half years, the worth of UP’s exports has nearly doubled from Rs 88,000 crore to 1.56 lakh crore, despite the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. This is a substantial rise. MSMEs nowadays have become a sign of reliability,” he continued.

The CM stated that according to data from 2021, UP is in the lead in the Good Governance Index. UP has made impressive progress, ranking seventh in the India Innovation Index, sixth in the Export Index EPI, and sixth in the Logistics is Across Different State.

Laying the foundation stone for the flatted plants in Agra and Kanpur, the CM said, “Time has come for the factories to take on a multi-storey form rather than having a horizontal land expansion. The flatted factories will be constructed as the multistorey plants in a single location.”

In Agra, an 8,812 square metre cluster is being built for the construction of flatted factories worth Rs 26.41 crore. As many as 40 units will be set up in a single complex here. Similarly, the Hosiery Sewing Cluster in Kanpur, a complex being constructed in 60,657 square meters area at a cost of Rs 24.72 crores, will house 67 units.