Dharamshala: The Department of Home, CTA concluded a two day workshop on strategic planning and discussion for the Tibetan Handicraft Societies under the USAID program.

Organized at the Tibetan Reception Center in Dharamsala, the workshop was attended by a total of 31 members including presidents, managers, Representative of Board of Directors and accountants of 12 Handicraft Societies in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarkhand.

Kalon Sonam Topgyal Khorlatsang, Department of Home, CTA inaugurated the workshop and addressed the participants on the purpose of organizing the workshop in context of the five-fifty strategy of the present Kashag. He stressed on the importance of following the rule of law governing these societies.

He further urged the managers and Board of Directors of the societies to ensure that the bye-laws of the Societies are updated as per law and that the land and other such infrastructures owned by the societies are legally binding. The home kalon also touched upon the Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy-2014 and its strategic importance for the Tibetan Community in India. He opined the idea of conducting a comprehensive assessment by experts in the field to assess the Tibetan handicraft Societies and find ways to further improve their situation.

While speaking to the participants, Chhimey Rigzen, Secretary, Department of Home spoke on the purpose of establishing Tibetan handicraft societies in the Tibetan community and importance of holding such workshops to share ideas between societies for further improvement.

Besides group discussions and presentations on the improving the Societies, the two day workshop covered other topics relevant to nature and functions of these societies. Tax Consultant, Tenzin Mingyang and Advocate Deepak Sharma gave talks on the newly introduced GST and Income Tax matters. Asit Bhatt, Associate Professor of National Institute of Fashion Technology, Kangra, who had recently surveyed some of the Tibetan Handicraft Societies in Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand, and also conducted a training course for a group of Tibetan carpet weavers, spoke on current trend and scope for future development of Tibetan handicrafts. Amardeep, Architect based in Dharamsala gave a comprehensive presentation of the technical aspects of civil construction, monitoring and compliance.

Karma Choeying, Additional secretary, Department of Home introduced to the participants the various Government of India schemes for Handicrafts and urged the societies to actively engage themselves to receive benefits of such schemes.

The two day workshop concluded on 2 August, 2017 with a concluding address by Kalon Sonam Topgyal Khorlatsang.

 – Report filed by Department of Home –