Bhubaneswar, Aug. 5: The state government has set up a tussar-printing unit at Gopalpur village in Jajpur district.
The first-of-its-kind unit aims to provide weavers with advanced printing equipment.
Handloom and textiles minister Snehangini Chhuria said: "Our weavers had to travel either to Bhagalpur or to Calcutta to impress designs on the fabrics. The entire process was costly, as a lot of money would be spent on transportation. The individuality of our fabrics was also getting lost. The unit would add value to the handloom fabric and increase its market in the long run."
"It would also enable stakeholders to sell their products at a better price," Chhuria added.
The unit will work on block printing on tussar apparels, home furnishings and accessories such as scarves that are developed at various handloom clusters across the state. The project has been set up for Rs 22 lakh.
"First, we will introduce block printing and later, we will print tribal designs on tussar," joint secretary of textile department Raja Parija said.
The printing unit will be inaugurated on August 7 to mark the National Handloom Day. In the future, printing hubs will be set up at other places of the state.
The government has plans to celebrate the event by inviting weavers from across the state to gather at the Gopalpur cluster on that day.
"We have organised a workshop where veteran and amateur weavers will interact with each other on the latest trends in the field. A few senior weavers will also be felicitated on the day," said Parija.
All government officials have been asked to wear native handloom fabrics on the day. School and college students will also be asked to wear handmade clothes.
In another development, the department has invited applications for the one-year course on craft design that was introduced by the State Institute for Development of Arts and Crafts.
Launched in collaboration with National Institute for Design (NID), Ahmedabad, and the National Institute of Fashion and Technology (NIFT), the course provides training on designing contemporary products with an ethnic touch.
The selected candidates will receive a stipend of Rs 2,000 per month during the course.
