Why in news:

• Recently, a public during an awareness programme was conducted under the soft intervention of the department.
• Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chairperson, Jammu and Kashmir Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB), said that Beekeeping Cluster being established under SFURTI shall greatly boost the economy of local beekeepers with a notable increase in production of honey in the district.
• Vice Chairperson, Jammu and Kashmir Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB), was visiting the Common Facility Centre of Kalishkund Sudhmahadev Beekeeping Cluster, Doda, to inspect the ongoing works on the unit.

Key Highlights:

• The Vice Chairperson said that CFC of the cluster, coming up with a project cost of Rs. 136.710 lakh, shall house honey processing plant and other relevant machines and equipments.
• The cluster will facilitate the farmers with honey extraction, processing, packing, labeling and marketing under one roof.
• The implementing agency has been given instructions to step up efforts ensuring that cluster is completed in a time bound manner.
• On the occasion, the Vice Chairperson stressed upon the unemployed youth to take benefit of employment schemes like PMEGP and JKREGP being implemented by J&K KVIB.
• She also interacted with the public representatives of the area, beekeepers and other stakeholders to assess their issues and concerns.
• The Vice Chairperson also visited various micro industries units established under PMEGP and JKREGP in Badharwah and adjoining areas.
• She underlined the need for penetration in remote areas through organization of localized awareness and sensitization campaigns so that unemployed youth may harvest the benefits of J&K KVIB schemes to the fullest.
  
  
  
   

SFURTI

• SFURTI is a Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries.
• Ministry of MSME launched this scheme in the year 2005 with the view to promote Cluster development.
• KVIC is the nodal Agency for promotion of Cluster development for Khadi as well as for V.I. products.
• So far, 76 Clusters have come up as per the scheme and many of these clusters have been completed.
• The scheme has been evaluated by Professional Agency and it has rated the programme as successful.
• Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises, Govt. of India, has issued Revamped SFURTI Guidelines, for development of clusters under the scheme of Revamped SFURTI programme, which will develop three types of cluster programme.
• The Revamped SFURTI Cluster will intensify the sustainability of the programme beyond the project period through creation of Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).
•  Further, the revamped guideline has added many new features for all round development of SFURTI clusters

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)

• The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory body formed in April 1957 by the Government of India, under the Act of Parliament, 'Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956'.
• It is an apex organisation under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, with regard to khadi and village industries within India.
• It seeks to - "plan, promote, facilitate, organise and assist in the establishment and development of khadi and village industries in the rural areas in coordination with other agencies engaged in rural development wherever necessary."
• The broad objectives of the Khadi Village and Industries Commission encompassing self-reliance and sustainability are:
  • To boost employment in the country.
  • To propagate the promotion and sale of Khadi articles
  • To cater to the self-reliance doctrine of the country by empowering underprivileged and rural sections of the society.