Bhubaneswar, Aug. 7: The state government has set a target of two years to ensure that weavers in the state get benefits under its various schemes.

The aim will be to bring weavers under the cooperative fold and provide them with yarn, dyes, chemicals, necessary training, link them with marketing channels and create employment opportunities.

"Steps are on to take care of their education and health apart from financial requirements. We are preparing a database of weavers in the state and ensuring that schemes reach out to them," said handloom minister Snehangini Chhuria on the occasion of National Handloom Day celebrations at Jayadev Bhavan here today.

She said the focus would be on e-business.

"All the cooperative societies will be linked to government websites so that they can sell their products and make profit directly," Chhuria said.

Three cooperative societies that have been working for the weavers for more than 75 years were felicitated at the event and given cash awards of Rs 1 lakh each.

The societies are Gouranga of Bargarh, Kotpala of Khurda and Brahmapur Cotton of Ganjam.

Societies that had registered record production and sale in the past year were also felicitated.

Weavers from across the state were present at the event. They complained of lack of availability of raw materials and access to loans under the handloom policy.

Lamenting that the famous Sambalpuri sari was facing threat of duplication from mill owners based outside the state, Gopal Meher, a weaver from Bargarh, said: "We have been suffering heavy losses due to duplication of handloom saris. We have written a number of times to the state government to take quick action."

A woman weaver said they were not accounted under the weavers' cooperative fold.

Chhuria said the state government conducted a specific training programme for women weavers.