Odisha authorities grants particular safety bundle for native weavers

By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR:  Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday introduced a particular bundle for the Covid-19 pandemic-hit weavers of the State. The bundle consists of concretisation of loom pits, provision of house-cum-work sheds and lighting amenities in work sheds and interest-free mortgage of Rs 50,000 for them. 

Announcing the bundle, the Chief Minister mentioned over 3,300 weavers households might be offered house-cum-work sheds on precedence foundation. Besides, lighting facility and electrical followers might be offered within the housing-cum-work sheds to minimise the bodily pressure on eye and allow the weavers to work for longer period.

The housing-cum-work shed scheme is being carried out in line of the Indira Awas Yojana and Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana (BPGY) underneath the State plan – promotion of handloom business.  So far, 11,695 items have been constructed underneath the scheme. About 800 housing-cum-work sheds are being constructed per yr. The omitted beneficiaries of round 3,300 weavers might be lined underneath the particular bundle.

As per the particular bundle, 15,000 loom pits might be concretised in a phased method in three years with an estimated value of Rs 10.5 crore. The unit value of loom pit is estimated to be Rs 7,000.  According to the Centre’s Handloom Census Report-2019, out of 31,342 of loom pits within the State, 15,071 have been concretised underneath the State plan scheme. 

The bundle consists of interest-free mortgage of Rs 50,000 for the weavers from 2021-22. It has been focused to offer mortgage to twenty,000 weavers on precedence throughout the present yr. The complete annual value in the direction of this part might be about Rs 12 crore and for 3 years, it could be Rs 36 crore.

Besides, all eligible weaving households might be lined underneath rural housing scheme. Beneficiaries might be chosen as per the prevailing pointers of the Panchayati Raj division.  Similarly, group infrastructure akin to widespread facility centres (CFCs), godowns and gross sales shops might be taken up in collaboration with Panchayati Raj division with involvement of gram panchayats and panchayat samitis.

The Chief Minister mentioned handloom sector has been severely affected over the past one and a half years as a result of pandemic. After agriculture, handloom provides employment to numerous individuals in rural areas. Besides, weavers play an vital position in spreading the tradition of Odisha all through the world by their work, he added.

Benefits

Concretisation of loom pits
Provision of house-cum-work sheds 
Lighting amenities in work sheds 
Interest-free mortgage of Rs 50,000 
Construction of CFCs, godowns