BHOPAL: Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Friday to celebrate Sant Ravidas Jayanti at Panchayat level in the state. The cobblers will also be sent to Varanasi to visit the birth place of Sant Ravidas, he said. Chouhan was addressing the cobblers at a conference organized at his residence. Cobblers' community from Budhni region participated in the conference.
He also launched Mukhyamantri Paduka Yojana for the cobblers under which the leather artisans will be imparted training by CRISP and National Institute of Footwear Designing, New Delhi. The programme will be held for skill upgradation of cobblers and to provide better market for their products. Chouhan also presented a cheque of Rs 10,000 as financial assistance and a kit containing equipment and tools needed by cobblers for their work to expand their business. Chouhan said that the government is working in accordance with the Sant Ravidas' desire, "Aisa chahu raj me, jahan mili saban ko anna- chhote bado sam basen, Ravidas rahe prasanna (I want a state where everyone is respected)". All families should get ration, housing and no family should remain deprived of the benefits of these schemes, he said.
He said that 'Mukhya Mantri Paduka Yojana' is being started to make the cobblers' community self-dependent and to connect them with the mainstream by inclusive development of the society. The training of footwear designing by advanced machines and experienced trainers will be made available by opening a common facility center under the scheme.
The artisans will get access to modern techniques and machines for them to combine with their traditional techniques. The Common Facility Center will be operated by CRISP in association with National Institute of Footwear Designing, New Delhi. Shrikant Patil, CMD, CRISP said that organizations like D-Mart and Ondoor are being approached for better marketing of the products of cobblers and to provide better prices. Chouhan provided a cheque of Rs 10,000 and a cobbler kit to 78 cobblers of Budhni as financial assistance to expand their business. Cobblers Vijendra and Jeetendra from Nasrullaganj presented shoes made by them to Chief Minister Chouhan.
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