Shri T.K. Chakraborty, Asst. Director I/c, Br. MSME-DI, Silchar.
Location:-
Located 40 km away from Silchar in Hailakandi District. Located in 21 villages.
No of Units:-
Around 1,500 families, but about 150 units have been covered under the MSCDP.
Products Manufactured :-
Boiled/Unboiled/Coloured Sital Pati.
Employment:-
3,000 artisans.
Turnover Before the Start of CDP:-
Rs. 1.50 Crs per year.
Market:-
Local market.
Problems faced by the Cluster:- 1. Low income of the artisans.
2. Traditional Technology.
3. Lack of Market Avenue.
4. Lack of Modern design & Product Diversification.
5. Lack of Entrepreneurial Quality.
With a view to turn around this traditional cluster in south Assam with an holistic approach under the cluster development programme of Ministry of MSME, a proposal in the form of a diagnostic study was prepared by MSME-Development Institute, Guwahati & the same was submitted to the O/O the DC(MSME) & the cluster development activities were approved by the O/O the DC(MSME), New Delhi & the cluster development activities started in the cluster in the last quarter of the year 2007-08. The fund released for different cluster activities during the year 2007-09 was Rs. 0.65 lakhs. The different activities undertaken in the cluster so far are:
Awareness & Sensitization Programme on Cluster Development at Katakhal on 31-03-08.
Networking Seminar with Support Institutions in Katakhal on 12/13-05-08.
Seminar on Strengthening of Association on 15/16-05-08 at Barihaor-Part-III Village.
Workshop on Quality Maintenance & Specification on 25/26-06-08 at Barihaor-Part-III Village.
Meeting with Director MSME-DI Guwahati on 10-06-2008 by Association members & artisans.
Exposure visit by two artisans to Guwahati on 4/5-08-08.
Awareness Programme & Exhibition on Jute & Sital Pati Diversified Products at Katakhal on 31-08-08.
Training Programme on Jute-Sital Pati Composite Products at katakhal from 2nd to 23rd September’08.
Participation in Handicrafts Fair in AEI, Chandmari, Guwahati Play Ground from 26th September to 5th October’08.
Awareness Programme on Cluster development at Katakhal on 06-11-2008.
Participation in IITF & Techmart from 14th to 27th November’08.
Awareness & Sensitization Programme on Cluster development at Katakhal on 17-03-2009-attended by 50 artisans.
Meeting on Networking with Support institutions at kataklhal on 18-02-2009-attended by 50 artisans.
Meeting on Strengthening of Association in Katakhal on 14-03-2009-attended by 20 artisans.
Basic Skill Development Training on Jute-Sital pati composite products at barikhor-III from 13-2-09 to 12-3-09-attended by 21 artisans.
Workshop on Quality & maintance of Specifications at Barikhor-III on 12-2-2009-attended by 25 artisans.
Participation in JMDC fair at Silchar from 15th to 20th January’09-2 artisans participated.
Participation in NABARD-SHG Mela at Silchar from 24th to 26th January’09- 1 participated.
Participation in Gandhi Mela & Exhibition in Silchar from 18th February to 23rd March’09- 1 participated.
Exposure visit of Artisans to Silchar on 18-3-2009-12 artisans undertook the exposure visit.
Advanced training on Jute-Sital Pati Products at Katakhal from 29-12-08 to 13-1-09- 20 artisans participated.
Design Development Training Programme for Jute-Sital Pati products from 16th to 22nd March’09- 20 artisans participated.
Buyer-Sellers meet at Silchar from 27th to 31st March’09- 2 artisans participated.
Management Development Programme on Marketing Management at Katakhal from 6th to 17th February’09-21 artisans participated.
Meeting on SHG at Katakhal on 18-3-09- 20 artisans participated.
Formation of SPV- An SPV by the name M/s Katakhal Patikor Co Op. Ltd, Katakhal has been formed in the cluster & has 290 registered members.
Techno-Economic Feasibility Report for setting up a CFC at the cluster at an estimated cost of Rs. 61.18 lakh has been prepared and the same will be submitted to the O/O the DC (MSME), New Delhi after scrutiny.. The land for the building will be provided by the SPV.
The O/O DC(MSME), New Delhi has released Rs. 3.195 lakh as the budget provision for the Cluster Development activities of this cluster for the year 2008-09.
