Artisans and weavers of Puri district under the banner of the Odisha Silpi Mahasangh on Tuesday launched an agitation before the office of the District Magistrate and held a meeting which was addressed by Mahasangh president Bhaskar Maharana and another leader and Priyaranjan Kar.
They said there are over five lakh artisans and 15 lakh weavers in the State. The Government since long has not taken adequate steps to address their grievances. They are running short of raw materials for their work. The stone artisans are not getting quality stones from the mines while they have to get it in black market at a high price and most of the time the stones are not available.
In other cases, law plays tricks with the artisans engaged in products like seashells and conch shells necessary for their work. These apart, the weavers too are not getting their required raw materials, they said.
They demanded that the State Government of chalk out schemes for comprehensive and integrated supply of raw materials and marketing of their products.
Aged and old artisans are yet to get artisan pension while there is no definite Government agenda for promotion of these artworks, which are the pride of the State, Kar added. The Mahasangh leaders submitted a 15-point charter of demands to the District Magistrate.
Soon after, the activists went in a procession and gheraoed the District Industries Centre (DIC), which is yet to distribute Government assistance meant for the Phailin victim artisans. The Mahasangh would later organise a mass congregation at the State capital, Bhaskar Maharana informed.