To promote handloom weavers and boost the handloom sector in the state and popularize the state song, Chhattisgarh chief secretary RP Mandal on Monday issued a directive to gift traditional kosa silk sarees and jackets as mementos in government programmes.
The CS issued a circular cum guidelines to all the additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries, secretaries, and heads of departments, revenue division commissioners and collectors to the effect.
The chief secretary’s missive also said that the state government has declared the Chhattisgarhi poem “Apra Pairi ke Dhar, Mahanadi he Apar”, written by Dr Narendra Dev Verma as the state song.
The Chhattisgarh State Handloom Development and Marketing Cooperative Federation has been weaving the state song on tussar, kosa silk and cotton sarees, shawls, stolls , and ‘safa’ or jackets.
The state song woven by hand and machine embroidery, and print, will be presented as mementos, the CS said.
Besides promoting and polularising the state song, the federation is also helping to generate employment among traditional artisans and handloom weavers.
The products are available on sale at the state-owned Bilasa Handloom Emporium on GE Road in Raipur.