Bhubaneswar, Sept. 13: The demand for handicrafts of the state being sold under the official brand Utkalika is falling in several big cities, says a review of first quarter sales performance.

However, voluntary organisations say the demand for Odisha's crafts is growing outside the state. Craftsmen also feel that the handicrafts department's initiatives are not working because of the lack of vision.

Handicrafts and cottage industries director of the state Sanghamitra Kanungo has demanded to know the reasons for shortfall of sales from the managing director of Odisha State Co-operative and Handicrafts Corporation (OSCHC). In her letter, the director said the sales performance of all Utkalika branches for the first quarter were not satisfactory as compared to the proportionate target till June 2015.

OSCHC managing director Gayatri Pattanaik denied the allegations of poor performance. "Most of our Utkalika branches have performed better than last year. Except for the Rourkela branch, the sale has been impressive in New Delhi, Mumbai and even Puri. We are yet to compile the final sales figures though," she said.

Private set-ups such as Odisha Rural and Urban Producers' Association (ORUPA) have confirmed that they had done good business so far and the demand for the crafts of the state was ever increasing. "We have also exported crafts by Odia artisans to Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and other places," said Ashok Sahu, marketing director of ORUPA. He said crafts such as stone-carving and products made of natural fibres such as sabai grass and golden grass were much sought after outside the state.

Many artisans believe that the government's initiatives to develop the handicrafts sector usually go waste owing to the lack of extensive market research. "We are often invited to design development workshops hosted by the handicrafts department but most designs do not meet the market needs. Our buyers order products mostly for decorative purposes but also look for utility. We do quite good on our own through our networks but Utkalika's marketing strategy is too traditional for big cities," said a sculptor.