Activities in the cluster started taking momentum with the involvement of Late Padmashree Dr. Krutartha Acharya and his four associates in the cluster area during 1942 and started their business with production on limited numbers of looms.
Later he converted his business in to a co operative society named Sambalpuri Bastralaya, registered during the year 1954 under "Bihar and Orissa Co operative Societies Act" and established in Bargarh town. This is the first firm in the cluster, which took the leadership in weaving activities of cluster and stood as a milestone in its history.
To look after the interest of the industry, Office of the Assistant Director of Textiles, Bargarh was established and started functioning from 1962. Similarly Orissa Weavers Co-Operative Spinning Mill at Tora, a village adjacent to Baragarh started its functioning during 1971 and acted as a forward linkage to the industry by providing major raw material input i.e. yarn.
Marketing supports from Bastralaya,/ Orissa State Handloom weavers Co-Operative society, functioning of a production branch of Orissa State Handloom Development Corporation at Bargarh to look after the weavers working out of the Co-Operative fold, availability of yarn at reasonable price at the door step encouraged the activities of the Weaver Co-operative Societies, which were the major firms and maximum in number, grew up mainly during 1980-1996.
Inducing production agents to Corporation branch and gradual declining activities of OSHDC started giving birth to private entrepreneurs from early 90's and now a number of master weavers, traders are in the business. On the other hand, gradual reduction of Government subsidies, declining support from apex WCS, closure of Handloom Development Corporation, closure of local spinning mills, abnormal increase in yarn price, and mismanagement at the primary weaver co operative societies l are the main reasons of reduction in the number of active co-operative societies.
Unlike the Tie-Dye work of other states of India, the motif and designs of the cluster are infinite in number and every motif or design is categorized under a special caption. No design is let out without giving it a name. It shows the creative mind of the weavers of the region.
Click here to learn about Indian Handloom Clusters
Fibre2fashion News Desk - India
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