Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday announced a special package for the weavers' community of the state affected by COVID-19.
"After agriculture, handloom is the main source of employment for the rural population in State. Lakhs of people in the state now depended on handlooms. Weavers have been presenting the great culture and tradition of Odisha through their skills and there is also a special demand for handlooms made in Odisha, all over the world. But in the last two years, the handloom industry has been severely affected by the COVID-19, and the livelihoods of thousands of our weavers have also declined," said Patnaik.
"Through the package, as many as 15,000 loom pits that are not concrete will be concreted in the next three years. Each loom pit will cost Rs 7,000 per concrete. Of the 31,342 loom pits in the state, 15,071 have so far been concreted," he added.
"Similarly, 3,000 weaver families will be provided with House-cum-Work shed on a priority basis under the Chief Minister's special package. To date, 11695 House-cum-Work sheds have been provided to weaver families, the Family members are also involved in the production process of the textile and cottage industries. Similarly, design preparation is a complex process. So under the scheme weavers will be provided with electricity and electrical fans, so that there is pressure on them and they will be able to work for a long time," he added further.
It has also been decided to provide housing to all eligible weaver families on a priority basis, the beneficiaries will be selected according to the guidelines of the Panchayati Raj Department.
The package also focuses on how weavers can access loans, The Chief Minister has directed to provide interest-free loans of up to Rs 50,000 to the weavers.
Various group infrastructures such as CFCs, warehouses, and sales centers will be set up through the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department to store the produce of the weavers.
( With inputs from ANI )
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