SHILLONG, JULY 21: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma along with minister in-charge of tourism Paul Lyngdoh today distributed 4 categories of awards to 7 artisans and craftsmen from across Meghalaya at the Ateliers Meghalaya Awards 2023 held at Courtyard by Marriott Shillong.
Speaking during the award ceremony, Sangma said that the Ateliers Meghalaya project is dedicated to supporting artisans and craftspeople in Meghalaya and this project had started way back in 2021 with an aim to provide assistance to artisans from the state to develop their businesses, improve their products, and access new markets.
Sangma said that since 2021, the state government had supported around 23 artisans with financial assistance of Rs.5 lakhs each and the state government aims to cover many more artisans in the days to come.
“The concept behind what we are trying to do really is linked very deeply with the overall plan and program and policy of the government and these are all connected so while we are working towards ensuring that the artisans are supported†said Sangma.
Sangma stated that the overall goal is to be able to preserve the culture and the different aspects of it and keep it alive and make it better but at the same time create likelihood out of what already exists and to be able to connect these qualities with the growth of the tourism sector is the way to actually unlock the potential that is there.
“When you connect the artisans, the ateliers and the tourism sectors and connect it to entrepreneurs and to something like Meghalayan Age Store which is now online, you can imagine the kind of impact you can have in terms of economics and livelihood†said Sangma.
Sangma said that all activities that the government is undertaking will have a huge shift in the center in the overall economic processes of how we looking at ensuring that we well be able to add value, we are able to just take it one step forward with the help of technology, with the help of support, financial and with the help of skill building and skilling the people at the grassroots level.
He added that the government will continue to provide people the platform that is required to be able to sell the products, share the products and showcase them to the rest of the world.
“We are seeing this kind of transformation and today what you are seeing happening here is just the tip of the iceberg to be very, once you start actually getting into the whole thing you will understand how the programs of entrepreneurship started†he added.