An MoU was signed on Thursday between the Directorate of Handicrafts and Cottage Industries and the Odisha Bamboo Development Agency (OBDA) under the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department to develop bamboo craft in Odisha.
The focus for development of the craft would be in six locations of five districts with the funding support of OBDA to the tune of Rs 721.30 lakh. The centres are Ichinda (Rairangapur) in Mayurbhanj, Gopalpur (Rasulpur) in Jajpur, Baulapur (Odapada) in Dhenkanal, Bargaon, Kantapalli and Brahmanadihi (Padmapur) in Bargarh and Binika in Subarnapur district.
While the Directorate of Handicrafts and Cottage Industries will implement the programme through its district offices headed by Assistant Director of Handicrafts, the major interventions will be construction of CFCs and introduction of new technology through mechanisation in treatment and processing of raw bamboo, apart from skill development of the artisans.
Marketing assistance will also be provided through establishment of rural haats, Bamboo Bazar, in addition to e-Commerce. Besides, steps would be taken for opening of a Marketing and Design Cell at SIDAC, Bhubaneswar for improvement of market-oriented products.
Odisha has an immensely rich craft tradition with magnificent craftsmanship. As many as 50 different crafts have been approved by the Government of Odisha practiced by the artisans in varied degrees and are dispersed throughout the State and bamboo craft is one of the approved crafts of the State.
Although the craft is practised in almost all districts of the State, mostly the artisans are found in districts like Dhenkanal, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Bargarh, Subarnapur, Khordha, Rayagada, Nayagarh, Kandhamal, Malkangiri and Sundargarh. The artisan population of the State in the craft is about 22,000.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Handlooms, Textile and Handicrafts (HT and H) Minister Padmini Dian, Commissioner-cum-Secretary Shubha Sarma and PCCF Sisir Ratho. Director Handicraft and Cottage Industries, Sanatan Nayak and State Mission Director, OBDA Prem Kumar Jha signed the MoU.