Disillusioned over the State Government’s inordinate delay over implementation of its various promises for the artisans, the Odisha Shilpi Mahasangha, the oldest and strongest association of craftpersons and weavers, has threatened to gherao the State Assembly here on Friday.
In a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday preceded by a Press conference on Tuesday, Mahasangha president Udaya Mohanty has drawn urgent attention of the CM to three major factors that have compelled them to take to the streets.
The memorandum of the 30,000 membership strong association has mentioned that more than 10 lakh people of the State are directly dependent on handicraft and handloom sectors for their livelihood that is second to the farming sector. However, owing to apathy of the Government towards the artisans’ issues, their livelihood has been adversely hit. A large number of crafts persons and weavers in 14 districts were affected by the Fani cyclone that ravaged Odisha and the Government announced to offer financial assistance of Rs 8,200 to each of 70, 000 crafts persons and 60,000 weavers. However, so far 9,000 beneficiaries from Puri district have been released the assistance while the rest of the 13 districts have been ignored, the memorandum rued.
It further pointed out that the Government on March 5 last had announced a monthly financial assistance of Rs 800 to Rs1,000 to the artisans — the amount to be decided depending on their experience and age — as per the persistent demand of the Mahasanga, but not a single artisan has received any assistance so far.
The CM had launched the Handlooms and Handicrafts Development and Promotion Council in March last year. However, 17 months later, the 22-member board has been dissolved while no initiative is being taken to reconstitute the board. As a result, Rs 20 crore received by the Council could not be utilised for development of the artisans of the State, it alleged.