New Delhi, July 17 (KNN) In a bid to train the marginal community of leather artisans, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), has opened the first-of-its-kind footwear training centre in Delhi.

The centre has been established with the technical knowhow of Central Footwear Training Institute (CFTI) in Agra which is a unit of the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME).

''The “KVIC-CFTI Footwear Training Cum Production Centre,” located at Gandhi Darshan, Rajghat, will provide a comprehensive 2-months training program to leather artisans for making high-quality footwear,'' said the Ministry in a statement on Thursday.

KVIC Chairman VK Saxena while inaugurating the centre termed the leather artisans as “Charm Chikitsak” (leather doctors).

The training centre will also provide logistical support to the trained artisans in starting their own shoe-making business once their two-months training is successfully completed.

''The artisans will also be provided a tool kit worth Rs 5000 for carrying out their activities in future,'' the statement added.

The KVIC-CFTI footwear training cum production centre equipped with advanced tool kits and machinery has been set up in a record time of less than two months. The inauguration was, however, delayed due to lockdown. Initially the training programs was designed for a batch of 40 leather artisans but keeping in view the social distancing norms in wake of Corona disease, the number has been reduced to a batch of 20 artisans.

KVIC is setting up a similar footwear training centre in Varanasi also.

The KVIC Chairman said the training of leather artisans or the 'charm chikitsak' is aligned with the Prime Minister’s vision of “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas”.

He said footwear has become an integral part of fashion and shoe-making no longer remains a menial job.

“Through this training centre, we are trying to rope in maximum people with shoe-making activities. So, the program has been designed in such a way that in just two months-time, the artisans will be able to manufacture all kinds of footwear. This will increase their income by manifold,” the Saxena added.