Bhubaneswar: The state government has decided to transform Balijury Haat in Bargarh district into the largest open ground cloth market in Asia with modern amenities and all types of market linkages in an attempt to give a fillip to the handloom sector.
This decision was taken at a high-level meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy on digital mode, Monday.
Taking an area-wise review of the Ikat designs, Tripathy directed the handloom officials to transform state’s best products into global brands through addition of high design, affluent colours, towering quality and supreme prominence. The benefit of such interventions should go the weavers and artisans, he said.
He asked the department of Textiles, Handlooms & Handicrafts to scale up international visibility through organisation of expo-exhibitions at various prominent places and star hotels.
Further, the Chief Secretary emphasised on mobilising private sector investment in development of the handloom sector.
It was decided in the meeting that internationally reputed designers like Rta Kapoor Christie, Abraham Thakore, Rakesh Pratap Singh, Anjali Kalia and Bibhu Mohapatra would be invited to get involved in promotion of state designs.
The size of handloom market in the state has now been enhanced to `600-700 crore. The Chief Secretary directed the officials to multiply the turnover in coming years.
Tripathy directed the department secretary Shubha Sharma to identify ‘good performers’ from among the officers and technical experts in the department and entrust them with responsibility of working out aspirational business models apart from selling those with prospective private partners. Sharma was advised to interact with the technicians and artisans and brace them up for higher ends.
Emphasising on attracting young talents to the sector, the Chief Secretary directed to start internship and scholarship programmes in the fields of innovative design, motif making, banding, mixing, yarn making and others.
It came out from the review that Pasapali, Sonepuri, Bomkai and Kotpad design of Odisha are fast moving varieties. These sarees have greater potential of being developed as ‘world designs’. It was decided to focus on these verities in the first phase.
The government has also decided to provide interest free working capital to Bayanika, Utkalika and Sambalpuri Bastralaya to purchase products from the weavers.
“These verities are mostly prepared in Bargarh Sonepur, Kalahandi and Koraput districts. The traditional weavers of these areas posses excellent traditional expertise in these tie & dye designs,” said Textile, Handloom and Handicraft director, Jyoti Prakash Dash.
As of now, 166 new designs have been developed while the process for second phase of design and reference collection has already been started, Dash said.