The Odisha Government has decided to seek support from the World Bank to develop its textile, handloom and handicrafts sector. A meeting of senior officials from both sides was held recently in Bhubaneswar to finalise a project to raise the income of the artisans and weavers by increasing domestic sale and exports and standardise design patterns.
“No financial decision has been taken yet on the project. We expressed Odisha Government’s keen interest and they also expressed theirs,†the State’s Development Commissioner R BalaKrishnan told. A report suggests that around Rs 460 crore will be invested in the project initially. Odisha hosts 52 kinds of handicraft and weaving art forms and around four lakh people are engaged in this profession directly or indirectly.