Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Council under chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor G C Murmu today accorded approval to the merger of Handicrafts Department and Handloom Development Department into J&K Handicrafts and Handloom Department. <br />'' <br />'' Besides, J&K Handicraft Corporation and J&K Handloom Development Corporation were also merged into J&K Handloom and Handicrafts Marketing Corporation and transfer of showrooms of J&K industries to the new corporation.<br />''  <br />'' As a result of the merger, the newly formed Department of Handicrafts and Handloom will have two Directorates at Divisional level for Kashmir and Jammu with eight Regional Deputy Directorates, at Anantnag, Budgam, Baramulla and Bandipora in Kashmir and Kathua, Udhampur, Rajouri and Doda in Jammu division. <br />'' <br />'' Moreover, the decision of merger of the corporations shall bring in efficiency, accountability, transparency in the working of the corporations. It will also augment the resources and manpower of the corporations to bring in synergy and to adopt a target oriented approach for effective marketing of Handloom and Handicrafts products. <br />'' <br />'' With this move, the marketing activity related to local crafts of various corporations shall be combined under a single umbrella establishment. The two sectors present a viable socio-economic activity and a major foreign exchange earner, yet the areas had remained poorly organized with little access to welfare/credit schemes. <br />'' <br />'' It will also address challenges like lack of brand image, bulk production capacity, and enforcement wing to check fake products, absence of e-marketing, stiff competition from machine and power-loom products. The decision to merge the two departments is in line with the initiative of minimum government with maximum governance.<br />''