Bhubaneswar: Odisha Handloom, Textiles and Handicrafts department principal secretary Arabinda Kumar Padhee has written to all District Collectors to promote the use of state handloom products by encouraging government employees to wear them to work at least once a week.
The move aims to sustain the dexterous weavers of Odisha and preserve their pristine art, besides establishing a conducive market environment, Padhee wrote to the DCs.
His letter reads, “I wish to make a heartfelt appeal for your consideration to request government employees working in your districts and others, to ‘voluntarily’ wear hand-woven fabrics at least one day a week. You may decide the day of the week, depending on local factors, and holding cultural considerations, if any. Those in uniform or official dress code may please be excluded from this endeavour.”
“I am happy to note that a few of you have already taken the lead in this regard. In the Departments of Agriculture & FE and Handlooms, Textiles & Handicrafts, officials and staff have already started wearing hand-woven products on most of the weekdays. This is indeed heartening,” he adds.
“Our culture is our brand. Odisha’s handlooms have always been the hallmark of showcasing the rich cultural and vibrant artistic heritage of the state. The handloom products of Odisha have received national and international acclaim for highly artistic design, craftsmanship and durability. To establish their uniqueness, nine different handloom products have already received GI tags,” the letter elaborates.
