New Delhi [India], December 30 (ANI): Amid rising COVID-19 cases in the national capital, Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Thursday said that it has been decided to conclude the Hunar Haar in New Delhi from Friday.

The 35th edition of Hunar Haat was inaugurated by Union Minister Bhupender Yadav at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on December 23. The event was scheduled to culminate on January 5, 2022.

“We need to take precautions but don’t get panicked. Keeping safety in mind, Hunar Haat will be wrapped tomorrow and if all go well, we will continue to organize it in Patna and Mysore,” the Union Minister told reporters here.

Speaking further, Naqvi said “More than 7.5 lakh artisans, craftsmen, and people associated with them have been provided employment and self-employment opportunities through Hunar Haat in the last about six years. More than 50 per cent of them are women artisans.”The minister said that more than 700 artisans, craftsmen from more than 30 States/UTs of the country participated in the event, organized at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium with the theme of “Vocal for Local” and “Swadeshi Se Swavlamban”.

Appreciating the artisans and talents, Naqvi said, “Exquisite and elegant indigenous handmade products from more than 30 states and UTs including Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Ladakh, Jammu-Kashmir, Punjab, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Manipur, Goa, Puducherry, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Chandigarh, Haryana were available in this Hunar Haat.”The people encouraged the artisans and craftsmen by making large-scale purchases of their indigenous products, he said.

Hunar Haat is a perfect platform for the protection, preservation, promotion of the Indian legacy of art and craft.

The minister also mentioned that adequate and necessary safety arrangements had been done at Hunar Haat. More than 350 cleaning workers and 200 security people were deployed to maintain hygiene, cleanliness, and security in the entire campus, he added.

Hunar Haat will also be organized in Mysuru, Guwahati, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Patna, Puducherry, Mumbai, Jammu, Chennai, Chandigarh, Agra, Prayagraj, Goa, Jaipur, Bengaluru, Kota, Sikkim, Srinagar, Leh, Shillong, Ranchi, Agartala and other places in the coming days. (ANI)