Delhi government nod to setting up board for welfare of barbers

New Delhi : The Delhi government on Saturday approved the setting up of 'Delhi Kesh Kala Board' to revive and promote the traditional art of hair grooming by implementing welfare measures for barbers and providing them advanced training and financial assistance.

Significant disruptive technological solutions have fuelled the growth of the hair care industry and the demand of hair care products is increasing both in rural and urban markets, an official statement said.

Unofficial estimates peg the worth of India's hair care industry at Rs 22,500 crore, it said. While hair cutting profession has traditionally been adopted by the barber community, considered a backward class, they have not been able to adopt these new capital-intensive technologies and therefore, remain largely un-benefited from the spurt in growth of this industry, the government said.

The barber community needs to be provided with adequate training on latest technology prevailing in the industry and they even require financial assistance for self employability, the statement said.

The board will have five members, including a chairperson and vice chairperson. The member-secretary of the board will be appointed by the Delhi government from amongst serving/retired officers not below the rank of deputy secretary. In each district, there will be a district-level committee comprising a chairperson and three members.