Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, June 04, 2015 :

Odisha’s first Tassar print unit will come up at Gopalpur very shortly to bring relief to thousands of Tassar weavers, who have to go to Kolkata for printing of Tassar products.

Inaugurating a State-level Workshop of Handloom Weavers here on Thursday, Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts minister Snehangini Chhuria also indicated that the state government is actively considering a Tassar Hub at Gopalpur.

She also announced that the state will come out with a progressive ‘Handlooms and Handicraft policy’ for the development of hand-loom and handicrafts sector in the state as well as development of weavers and artisans within a month.

Referring to E-commerce, the minister informed that both Utkalika and Boyanika have sold their products worth Rs three core through e-commerce and it would be further scaled up.

Hailing from a family of weavers, she understands the pangs of the weavers in the state better than anyone, she said adding that the department is fine tuning a ‘special packages’ for weavers, artisans and tassar farmers to make it the most attractive package in the country.

The department is also working on a package to revive sick cooperatives, holding of skill development training programmes, establishment of textile parks and craft museums etc.

“We are also planning to make provision of ‘special old age pension’ to weavers above the age of 60 as advised by chief minister Naveen Patnaik”, she said adding that all 16 craft villages in the state has been linked to tourism.

Speaking on the occasion, the union textile secretary Dr Sanjay Kumar Panda underscored the need for increasing the income of weavers through innovative strategy and marketing policies keeping the marketability of the products.

“The decision for purchase of a particular fabric would ultimately lie with the consumers, who will chose the fabrics based on quality and price. It is necessary for the handloom weavers to appreciate and get prepared for facing this reality” the bureaucrat said adding that handloom fabrics, whoever, continue to retain its place as a niche product.

The best way for the handloom industry to retain its place and importance in the competitive market lies in producing good quality, defect free, high value cloth with designs changing rapidly for meeting the requirement of the customers, who have the capacity to pay, Panda suggested.

The ministry is tightening the protection measures provided under reservation of some products for production only by handloom with a pragmatic view of the entire textile industry and safeguarding interest of the handloom weavers for marketing their products, he informed.

Handloom weavers, top officials from both the government of Indian and Odisha participated in the workshop.