Craft: Rope making and Articles
Cluster: Chotila
District: Surendranagar

The  village
 ‘Chotila” of Surendranagar district is situated at the distance of about 180 km to west-south from Ahmedabad on Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway. This cluster includes craftsmen of Chotila. The BPL craftsmen included under this cluster are majority of backward cast beneficiaries. Earlier they were enagaged with work of making useful househole items from fibre of jute, useful things for agriculture like yoke straps and other items for their own use. Their livelihood is depended on this craft.
GRIMCO – Rope making and Articles Cluster Chotila is selected under ‘Developement for Handicraft and Hanloom by Gujarat Rural Industries Marketing Corporation Ltd. GRIMCO by the Ministry of Rural Development – New Delhi and through Commissioner, Rural Developement Gandhinagar.

Special Project
GRIMCO’s aim is to provide employment to 150 BPL beneficiaris selected by a survey of the craftsmen of this project area. GRIMCO has arranged a training programme for design intervention for 25 skillful craftsmen selected from 150 BPL beneficiaries, by the experts of National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad. The objective of this training is to bring out the best from artisans. Untill now they were using designs handed down to them from their for fathers. Our aim is to encourage them to make products according to the market demand.

After being trainded, these craftsmen have changed their traditional art according to the market necessity and by using the modern designs, they were using designs handed down to them from their forefatthers. our aim is to ecourage them to make products according to the market demand.

After being trainde, these craftsmen have changed their traditional art according to the makert necessity and by using the modern designs, they make attractive items such as wall piece, night lamp, letter box, hand bag, ladies bag, sholder bag and other decorative items. During the training each craftsman was given a special tool kit with the guideling of experts for their assistance. As a result of this training, their skill is improved and they can earm more by less efforts and in less time.

Objective
GRIMCO’s objectives are to provide the intervention in traditional designs. to develop the skill for marketing to provide basig managerial knowledge and to develop their latent talents.

To Provide Infrastructure
It is necessary to provide infrastructure to BPL beneficiaries trained under this project. GRIMCO is planning out to set up the necessary common worksheds for this.

Marketing Support
It is planned to sell the artistic items produced, by this project through ‘Gram-Hat’, Ahmedabadbad, Saras fairs and other fairs organised in India and Gujarat state, and thus to provide the necessary maket support.