DEPT. OF FASHION AND APPAREL

TECHNOLOGY

SUBMITTED BY,

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Ansuman Pradhan

Suchismita Rana

Sumeet Sharma

S. M Bhartee

Certificate

This is to certify that the project work entitled “STUDY OF SAMBALPURI PATTA”

which is being submitted by Suchismita Rana, Ansuman Pradhan, Sumeet Sharma,

S.M Bhartee as a partial fulfilment for the award of the Degree of B-Tech (Fashion

Technology) to Biju Patnaik University of Technology, Rourkela, Orissa has been

carried out by them under my supervision and guidance at College of Engineering and

Technology, Bhubaneswar, Orissa.

 

PROJECT GUIDE

Mr. M N Pattanaik

 

 

  Mr. Madhabananda Pattanaik

H.O.D, Department of Fashion Technology

College of Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar

 

 

 

Date: 20/12/2011 Place: Bhubaneswar

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Declaration We, the following scholar declare that with the exception of the guidance and

suggestions provided by our guide Mr M.N.Pattanaik that this thesis entitled

“Implimetation of Sambalpuri Patta in Fashion World” being submitted to Biju

Patnaik University of Technology, Rourkela, Orissa for the award of B-Tech Degree,

was carried out by us in College of Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Orissa.

Ansuman Pradhan

Suchismita Rana

Sumeet Sharma

S. M Bhartee

SIGNATURE

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We would like to express our gratitude to our mentor “Mr M.N Pattnaik” Sir,

HOD, Department of Fashion Technology as it would have been difficult for us to

understand the details of IMPLIMETATION OF SAMBALPURI PATTA IN FASHION

WORLD; methods & procedures and completing this project in this shape without his

necessary guidance & inspiration. We have the proud privilege to express our regards

and profound sense of gratitude to Mrs. Manaswini Mishra (lect.) and Miss Bijayalaxmi

Sahoo (lect.) and Miss Madhusmita das (Lect.) for their valuable advice, guidance and

continuous inspiration throughout our work.We owe a lot to all the faculties and staff of

Department of Fashion Technology, College of Engineering and Technology,

Bhubaneswar for their guidance and support throughout the course of this project.

Last, but not the least, we would like to thank our parents and friends without whom the

project would have never been what it is.

Objective4

Sambalpuri sarees are a symbol tradition, culture and intricate technique. They have long been an. important part of the ethnic Indian female attire and have been unadulterated in the present western-culture inspired apparel world. Here, we discuss the intricate process of creation of a saree-right from the purchase of raw materials to the final step of dying. We also throw light on the history of this piece of art, plight of the workers n scope for improvement in. present globalised fashion market in India.

Contents

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1. History2. Introduction3. Plan of work4. Global scenario of handloom5. Places of production6. Different types of sambalpuri patta7. Position of Orissa in handloom8. Barapalli ikat weaving cluster9. Evolution and structure of cluster

10.Tie &dyes11.Raw material supply12.Production process13.Value chain analysis14.Marketing15.Issues of PWcs16.Strengths & weaknesses17.Opportunities18.conclusion

History of SAMBALPURI SARI

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At the time of critical juncture padmashree dr.krutartha acharya came

forward for rescue of the poor weavers of western region of Orissa. In order to protect their skill and interest in the trade and o preserve, improve and propagate the traditional handloom ikat and to private entrepreneur of his own in the year 1930 in the same’ sambalpuri bastralaya’.Later on with a noble intention for greater improvement of the socio-economic condition of a large mass of weavers of western Orissa he formed co-operative institution in the name and style ‘sambalpuri bastralaya handloom society limited’ in the year 1954.eventually it is now the largest of its kind in the state and the country as well.

Sambalpuri saree

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sambalpuri Saree is a traditional hand woven Ikkat  saree wherein the warp and the weft are tie-dyed before weaving.

The saree is a traditional female garment in the Indian Subcontinent consisting of a strip of unstitched cloth ranging from four to nine meters in length that is draped over the body in various styles.

Sambalpuri sarees are known for their incorporation of traditional motifs like shankha (shell), chakra (wheel), phula (flower), all of which have deep symbolism, but the highpoint of these sarees is the traditional craftsmanship of the 'Bandhakala', the Tie-dye art reflected in their intricate weaves, also known as Sambalpuri "Ikkat".

In this technique, the threads are first tie-dyed and later woven into a fabric, with the entire process taking many weeks.

These sarees first became popular outside the state when the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi started wearing them.

Plan of work

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After we are get this project. We are planned to get the information from different society and weavers. So we are noted some of the points;

When was sambalpuri patta introduced Where do they get the raw materials from Weaving process Evolution of cluster No. of government and privet organization for this No. of wavers and loom Production and profit Income of weavers Time taken Marketing

So we are visiting some of the society and sell counter;

Barpali society

Sambalpur cotton and silk society

Master weavers

Boyanika etc.

Global scenario of handlooms

In the 1980s and 1990s they became popular across India. To provide protection to the weavers practicing this art, the handloom silk sarees

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manufactured in Sambalpur and Berhampur (Berhampur Pattu) in Orissa were included in the Government of India’s Geographical Indications (GI) registry.

It is estimated that today there are about 4.60 million handlooms in the world out of which about 3.9 million are in India1. The total handloom production in India was about 5493 million square meters during 2003 – 04. While the major producers are India followed by Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal, the main importers of textiles & clothing were the USA, UK, France and Italy.

When only warp or weft is tie and dyed, it is called ‘Single Ikat’, whereas when both the warp and weft are tie-dyed, it is called a ‘Double Ikat’. Ikats have been woven in cultures all over the world.

Ikat production in India and trade of Ikat to South-East Asia. Patola cloth, a double ikat from Gujarat, used to be exported to Indonesia for the use of the royal families.

The patterns in the Patola Ikats are strikingly similar to the double ikat produced in Bali, Indonesia.

PLACES OF PRODUCTION

• It is produced in the Bargarh, Sonepur, Sambalpur and nearby districts of Orissa.

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Roughly 16 km from the district headquarters of Sonepur, Sagarpali is a large village hosting around 500 bhulia (weaver) families. This is one of the largest weaving villages in Kosal, a bastion of the Sambalpuri sari. Other areas affluent with handloom weavers are Barpali, Tarbha, Bijepur, and Bargarh.

Important handloom clusters of south-western Orissa

DIFFERENT TYPES OF SAMBALPURI PATTA

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Panchabati:- Resembles panchabati vann, in which lord Ram had a “Vanavasha”.

Konarka Chaka:- Resembles the “Art and Creativity of Konarka Chariot Wheel”.

Asaman Tara:- Resembles the “Shining Stars Of sky”.

Nandighosha:- Resembles the “Chariot Of Lord Jagannath Of Ratha Yatra”

Sankha:- Resembles the “Mythological Use Of Sankha”.

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Bichitrapuri:- Resemble the “Variation Of Ikkat On Borders; the designs are repeated three or more times”.

Passapalli:- It resemble the “Folk Tradition”.

Palasa Phulla:- Resemble the “Flower Of Palasa Tree”.

Taa-poi: - Resemble the “Story Of Taa- Poi And Boita Bandana Festival”.

OTHER VARIETY OF SAMBALPURI PATTA

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DIFFERENT TYPES OF SAMBALPURI PATTA

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POSITION OF ORISSA IN sambalpuri HANDLOOMS

Handlooms are a key element of the Orissa’s economy. The Handloom Census of 1987 -88 indicated Orissa's population of handloom weavers at 415,000. Of this, almost 30% were members of the poorer and relatively disadvantaged Scheduled Castes (SC). Amongst the population of weavers almost 40% worked on a full -time basis as weavers, and the industry provided direct employment to 244,000 persons.

About 55% of these weavers were found to be from Orissa's western region. About 85% of the weaver households had only a single loom, while less than 1% had more than four looms. The bulk of weaver households came from the other backward castes.

Orissa can be categorised in to the following typologies:

Type I (Entrepreneur weavers): Buy raw material on their own, work on their own designs and then market their products through a variety of local channels, traders etc.

Type II (Labourer weavers) Weavers linked to master weavers: who receive the raw material and design brief from the master weaver and pass on the final product to them and receive their weaving wages in return.

Type III - Cooperative fold weavers:

Weavers linked to the primary cooperative societies which procure raw material, pass it on to the attached weavers, pay them wages and then market the final products on their own/ through apex cooperative society (BOYANIKA) There has been an effort by various local NGOs, through government schemes and institutions to organize weavers in the form of SHGs, juxtaposing these as an alternative weavers’ organization to reach out to markets and tap the various government schemes’ support. However, this seems to have not gained any significant movement. The focus of the state government department of textiles and handlooms has largely been cooperatives which have been created, supported and administered by their officials.

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BARPALI IKAT WEAVING CLUSTER

The total annual production of the cluster from the four production centres is estimated at about Rs. 6.25cr.

Double Ikat Cotton (of 2/120s cotton) or ‘Sakta’ or ‘Passa Palli’ saris – about 35% Sambalpuri cotton single ikat saris (of 2/120s to 2/80s) – about 45% Dress material (of 2/60s to 2/100s) – about 15% Tussar silk/Bafta (cotton + tussar) saris – about 5%

EVOLUTION OF THE CLUSTER

During the year 1954, ‘Sambalpuri Vastralaya’ got registered under the ‘Bihar and Orissa Cooperative Societies Act’ by the State government with an objective to upscale the activities of this outfit and provide support under prevalent government programs so as to promote the socio-economic conditions of the poor weavers and to provide regular employment to them. The society then had a dyeing unit at Tora near Bargarh and used to supply the dyed yarns to the production centre at Barpalli from where the raw material was made available to the weavers. The weavers used to get Rs.10/ - to 12/- per month as wages during that period. During the year 1956, one voluntary organization namely, ‘American Friends Service Committee’ working in the area for community development, extended and to help the skilled weaver artisans of Barpalli area through exporting the fabrics to abroad like USA, Canada, Great Britain and Australia. Some of the items like table clothes, handkerchiefs, bed sheets of coarse counts were produced during the period. The organization worked till 1966 for a period of over 10 years.

Janata Vastralaya in 1957, Utkal Vastralaya (late 1960s), Meher Arts & Crafts (1971 ), Ananta Narayan Tie & Dye Weaver’s Co-operative Society (1977), Jalpali Weaver’s Co -operative Societies(1981)etc.

The birth of the Apex Society of the state - “BOYANIKA” took place during this period. ‘Sambalpuri Vastralaya’ also grew through this heightened support to become one of the largest cooperatives in the country.

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STRUCTURE OF CLUSTER

Core Cluster Actors:The core stakeholders of the cluster are the weavers, master weavers and the National/State Awardees. The evolution of the weavers into master weavers and then of some of the master weavers into the awardees tells about the organics relations that these core cluster actors enjoy amongst themselves. This further shows how the growth of the cluster has provided opportunities to a weaver to develop into a fine craftsperson and also an entrepreneur. The cluster’s growth is today primarily shared by the awardees and the master weavers, who have moved out of the state to seek better markets for their fine products. They have been able to also earn reputation for the traditional craft at various levels and can be considered to be the saviors of the ikat tradition in the cluster.

Master Weavers

Around 42 master weavers are actively involved in the cluster out of which 18 are located in Barpalli town, 19 are located in Jalpalli village, 4 are in Baghbadi village and 1 in Bandhpalli village. They have about 160 looms working in the cluster and also get weaving done on contractual basis from about 766 weavers who have their own looms. It i s estimated that a smaller master weaver with 10 – 15 looms puts in about Rs. 1.5lakhs for his ‘micro enterprise’ while a comparatively bigger master weaver with 35 – 40 looms has to block about Rs. 4.5lakhs as working capital.

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Tie & Dyers

There are about 650 tie and dyers, who prepare exclusively tie & dye design and sell them to the weavers/master weavers and also in the market. The skill of the tie & dye is very unique and owing to the fine count cotton yarn being used, the product from the cluster possesses potential for suitable design and market facilitation inputs. In fact, these tie and dyers are always in demand since the tied and dyed yarn from the cluster is also bought by the weavers of other handloom weaving clusters, especially of the eastern and coast al regions of Orissa where the skill of ‘ikat’ is not very pronounced. Depending upon the complexity of the design, which is decided by the size of the motif, its repeat size, the number of colours being required for the design and the fineness of the work, the tied and dyed yarn set for usually a pallu of a sari or the border of a sari fetches about Rs. 80 – 250 (only border) to Rs. 250 – 1000 (for pallu of the sari). Most of these persons are of ‘Bhulia Meher’ caste and do not wish to pass on this skill to o there people who usually find the intricacies of this tying and dyeing technique quite difficult.

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Raw material suppliers

The main raw materials required by the cluster are cotton, silk and tussar yarns. Cotton yarn is obtained from traders/suppliers having linkages with the cotton mills of TamilNadu/Maharashtra whereas mulberry/ tussar yarns are purchased from Karnataka and Chhattisgarh respectively. This is usually through various promotional agencies like NHDC, Sambalpuri Vastralaya, BOYANIKA etc. who supply gray, bleached or dyed yarn to the weavers. Raw materials are also available in the weekly local market from the bulk suppliers located in Bargarh and Barpalli There are 5 traders each from Barpalli as well as Bargarh who regularly supply various types of yarns, dyestuffs and chemicals to master weavers and weavers.

Equipment Suppliers

Mostly, pit looms of up to 52” – 56” inches are being used in the cluster in which Dobbys of 4 to 12 hooks are used for borders. Nearly 70 – 80% of the looms of the cluster have a dobby attachment. Although there is no loom supplier in the cluster, there are certainWeavers who purchase raw wood from the market and with the help of the local carpenters they prepare and install the loom. However, there are 5 accessories supplier available in the cluster. Besides, accessories are also available in the local weekly market.

Traders

There are about 20 traders who take care of marketing of Barpalli handloom fabrics. Out of these 20, about 15 traders procure fabrics directly from weavers in addition to procurement from the master weavers. Some of these traders have retail outlets in Barpalli town. In addition to selling local handloom fabrics, these traders also sell the handlooms of other states like Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. About 5 -6 traders have business contacts in other cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai with the wholesalers.

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PRODUCTION PROCESS

Product – Single Ikat Sambalpuri Cotton Saree

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Procurement of Raw material(2/120s Grey Cotton Yarn, Dyes & Chemicals)Opening of Bundle &

Rewinding /Making ChainsSoaking of Hank

with Water for OvernightSqueezing of yarn and opening

Weft (Anchal Tie & Dyeing)

Anchal Weaving

Body Weaving

Bleaching and Drying

WarpDyeing

of WarpWheel

WindingPeg

WarpingSizingWinding

/FittingOf Warp with Reed

Loom Settin

g

Preparation ofHealed(option)

DobbyAttachment

Tying as perDesign

Setting ofTie & Dye Frame

Peg Warping

Wheel Winding

Weft

Dyeing &

Drying

Opening ofTied Yarn

Pirn Windin

g

Preparation of yarn

The raw material i.e. cotton and tussar/mulberry yarn is procured in hank form by the weavers / master weavers from the local yarn dealers/ Sambalpuri Vastralaya / localMarket who in turn get the silk from Karnataka, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Cotton from Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra. The cotton yarns procured are mainly pre -dyed and usually of 2/120s, 2/100s, 2/80s and the silk filaments are e grey in nature and have fineness of 20 -22 denier. In the case of tussar yarn, sometimes the weavers purchase tussar cocoons from outside market like Chhattisgarh, Raipur and spin tussar yarn from the cocoon. The gray yarn requires further processing before being put on the loom for weaving.

Bleaching & Dyeing

Both the cotton and silk threads are bleached and dyed by the weavers themselves. The maximum quantity of threads dyed is for two to four saris only. VAT and Naphthol –Fast Base dyes are used for dyeing cotton hank yarns where as Acid dyes are used for dyeing silk filaments. The process sequences of cotton and silk yarns used by the weavers areCotton:1. Soaking of yarns over night in a caustic soda and soap solution2. Washing of yarns with canal water3. Whitening of yarns using surf/ ‘Tinopal’4. Washing of yarns5. Dyeing of yarns using VAT and naphthol - base separatelySilk:1. Soaking of gray silk with water for over night2. Degumming of silk using soap and soda ash and boil for 30 minutes3. Washing of filaments using tap water4. Dyeing of filaments using Acid dyes at about 80 C for around 30 minutes.⁰

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WarpingThe preparation of yarns for separation, grouping and sub grouping is known as warping. Here, warping is done by peg warping method using wooden pegs. These wooden pegs are placed along the whole length of the yarn so tha t a continuously criss-crossed set of two yarns may be obtained for the weaving process which helps in finding out the broken yarn on the loom during the course of weaving.

Bobbin Winding

After dyeing, the yarn is loosened and woundon a bobbin for preparation of warping, sizing and pirn winding. This is achieved using small bobbin winding machines made out of a simple pulley mechanism where the dyed yarn gets transferred onto a swift and fro m which it is woven onto bobbins using a simple ’charkha’. Pirn winding is the process of transferring the yarns from the hanks into spools of the shuttles used in the weft while weaving. Pirn winding is achieved by using a small swift consisting of a rotary wheel attached to a harness of convey or belt giving a similar rotary motion to the

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spool mounted at the other end. Rotation of the wheel by hands results in the rotation of the spool and thereby the thread is wound on small spindles.Sizing

Sizing is a process where starch based chemicals is coated on the warp threads for imparting strength, surface glaze and stiffness so that it can withstand the yarn breakage during the course of weaving and also maintain the stiffness necessary for even weaving and a proper look of the sari once the weaving is complete. Sizing is done only for cotton yarn .The process involves painstakingly brushing of the yarns stretched along a stand using the sizing paste and special brushes for this activity. The sizing pastes are basically a thin paste of rice (Maandi) or a mixture of maida and rice paste.

Preparation of Loom

Preparation of the loom for weaving is done by the skilled weavers and theProcess involves the following activities: Weaving of Double Ikat dress material.

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DraftingThe process of passing the warp yarn through the healed of the loom as per the design to be woven is known as drafting. This helps in the future process of weaving when locating a broken yarn becomes easy due to the healed and also helps in the designing Processes.

Filling of Reed

In this process, warp is passed through the reed and the heralds. The warp threads are then joined to the old warp threads with a deft twist of hand.

Setting up of Dobby

Prior to start of the weaving process, the weaver sets the design of the border and the pallu. The respective ends of the design are tied to an attachment called Dobby. This process takes around 2 to 3 hours or more depending on the nature of the design. The effects are produced with the help of weft threads.

Weaving

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The weaving is performed by the skilled weavers of the family. The looms being used are mainly traditional pit looms with throw / fly shuttle technique.Dyeing

Dyeing is done by the weavers after tying the yarns as per the design requirements. VAT Naphthol and Sulphur dyes are used on cotton and acid dyes are used on silk by the weavers in the cluster. The warped yarns tied onto a frame are tied using threads/ rubber strips/ plastic wires etc. and then the dyer rubs each yarn bundle tied onto the frame by using brushes and dips the yarns in the dye bath till the desired shade and dispersion of the dye has not taken place. This process is so tedious and based so much on trial and error that proper matching of shades for large volumes of fabrics cannot be achieved. Further, a completely foolproof and proper dyeing process cannot be also adopted due to the limitation of the yarns being tied and the care that this tying should not open or else the design may get distorted due to the penetration of the dye in un -desired portions. Thus the dyeing has the problems of colour matching, less than optimum fastness, and the hands of the dyers being subjected to the harmful dyes and chemicals for a long duration. Washing of the yarn after scouring/ bleaching process is carried out at the canal. This leads to weakening of the yarns since the surface of the yarn becomes rough / dull, especially during rainy season due to the murky water. The harsh way of treating the yarn (beating on a stone and with wooden bats etc) also adds to weakening of yarn. Many a times, in order to obtain black shades on the body of the fabrics, the threads are first dyed with green colour using VAT dyes so that the untied portions become green shade and then the tying is opened. This is followed by dyeing of the entire threads with naphthol -base dyes using red colour so that the green portions become black and the white (tied) portions become red shade. As a result, the designs get red colour and body gets black colour. Thus, it can be invariably seen that the black colour in an Ikat fabric is accompanied with red and green and thus typical

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Combination gets repeated without any intentional design or colour need for such a combination. Thus the colour combinations remain very typically traditional and limited in their own way.

VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS

value chain analysis of two different products - Single Ikat Sambalpuri Cotton Sari and Cotton x Silk ‘Bafta’ sari with ‘Phada Kumbha’ design has been carried out. Analysis of the two value chains throws light on the following facts:

1. For single Ikat Sambalpuri sari, app 18% of value is added in tying and dying stage.2. Value addition is mainly at the weaving stage (47.2% both in Single Ikat Sambalpuri Sari

and 47.1% in Cotton / Silk ‘Bafta’ Sari) with respect to cost price.3. Dyeing & Sizing provide nearly 5.5% value to the cost of the sari.4. Marketing mark ups add up to 10% and 22% respectively on the cost price of sari.

Dyestuffs Rs. / kg.VAT Brown 4000– 4200/- marginal changeOther VAT Colour 1500 – 2000/- -do-Naphthol–Fast base 300 -350/- -do-11 National Handloom Development Corporation, an autonomous institution of Govt. of India for supporting handloom sector across the country.

Design & Product range

Cotton-single ikat sariIn 8 days 2 saris worth Rs. 1650/- is produced in 1 loom. Thus, 70 saris worth Rs.1,15,500/- can be produced in a year in 1 loom.Therefore, 450 looms will produce 31,500 pieces of saris worth Rs. 5.19cr in a year.

Cotton-double ikat sariIn 10 days 2 saris worth Rs. 2200/- is produced in 1 loom. Thus, 60 saris worth Rs.1,32,000/- can be produced in a year in 1 loom.Therefore, 300 looms will produce 18,000 pieces of saris worth Rs. 3.96cr in a yearHence, the annual production of about 51,000 pieces of saris in a year wouldhave a cost price of Rs.11.22crTherefore, in the cluster 875 working looms produce 93000metre of dress material and 1.86cr pieces of saris costing to Rs.5.61cr.

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Marketing

The cluster was traditionally dependent on the government channels and the apexCooperative societies such as BOYANIKA and Sambalpuri Vastralaya for the marketing of its products. However, slowly and slowly some master weavers and the awardees were able to develop contacts with the outside markets and thus started supplying in a small way to these customers.Presently, the cluster is marketing its products predominantly through the local weekly haat and through small traders/ local shops wherein nearly 80% of the production of the cluster is sold. The remaining 15 to 20% of the stocks are sold by the Master weavers, National Awardees, in various metros like Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata etc. and a very small portion of production moves through BOYANIKA/ Sambalpuri Vastralaya.

Regulated Marketing Committee (RMC), Bargarh

Behera market is run by the Regulated Marketing Committee (RMC) of Bargarh

district. The committee comprises of 15 elected members from traders, agriculture

department, Municipalities, Gram Panchayat and two other nominated members from Govt. of Orissa.

Estimated that this hat provides a business turnover of about Rs. 1.5 to 2cr.

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The weaver does not come every week to the haat and comes only when sufficient, number of pieces is ready for sales. However, it is important to note here that the weavers were found to be sitting with as little as 5 – 6 pieces to as many as 250 pieces individually in the haat.

Major Issues of PWCS

Primary Weaver’s Co-operative Societies

There are four no. of primary co -operative societies having around 1000 no. of weavers as members. But actually about 50 members are regularly working in the societ ies. In order to meet the working capital requirement for production and marketing activities, the PWCS receive cash credit loan from district co -operative central bank. The PWCS procure raw materials either from National Handloom Development Corporation (NHDC) or from the private traders and give it to the members for weaving. Members are paid for their wages and the co-operative sells the products to the Apex WCS i.e. BOYANIKA and /or to the private traders.

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Marketing

Marketing continues to be the biggest problem of weaver’s co -operative societies in the cluster. Handloom production appears to be not market oriented. Absence of new designs, poor colour combination, lack of understanding of changing markets, inefficient marketing capability, absence of market linkages outside the cluster are some of the prime factors that need to be addressed for the growth of business activities of the PWCS. Besides, Apex WCS i.e. Boyanika which is supposed to provide marketing support to the PWCS is neither providing any backward linkages in terms of providing new designs, colour combination as per market demand nor providing forward linkages through lifting of stocks with regular payment of cloth dues. As a result, the WCS are unable to provide raw materials, wages to its weaver members regularly. For this reason, the weaver members have shifted their linkage to master weavers, traders or are working independently. The WCS feel that they are not able to participate in various Expos, Exhibitions throughout the country due to heavy stall rent charged on them. They also feel that restriction on credit sales is another hurdle in their marketing activities.

Working Capital

The PWCS are not able to repay their cash credit loan regularly to Sambalpur District Central Co-operative Bank due to non-receipt of sale proceeds from Apex WCS since long and non-release of funds under Market Development Assistance, Marketing Incentives, Rebate, Expo-rebate scheme etc from Govt. in time. It is worth mentioning that the backlog funds receivable from Apex/Govt. are interest free where as the amount payable to the bank is charged with a rate of interest (11.5% to 16%) by SDCCB It seems that the interest accrued since 1998 towards cash credit loan is higher than the principal amount. As a result, there is a reduction in quantum of cash credit limit sanctioned by NABARD.

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Employee’s Provident Fund (EPF)

The PWCs are facing problems from EPF department. Recently, the EPF authority has seized the bank account of Ananta Narayan Tie & Dye WCS. Out of the fear of action to be taken by the EPF department, the secretary of the society seems to be repulsive to discharge his duty properly and smoothly, thus affecting the progress of development work of the society.

Restriction on appointment/ enhancement of salary of the paid employees by Govt.

The Register, Co-operative Societies (RCS) Orissa vide his circular no. 8059 dated 26 -05- 2000 has imposed ban on fresh appointment/ enhancement of salary of paid employees of the society until further order. As a result, the salary of the staff of the societies since last five years could not be revised. This is cited as one of the reasons for the staff not taking much interest to discharge their duties on day to day affairs of the society.

Revival/ Rejuvenation of PWCS

Repayment of old dues by Apex WCS / Govt. – The old dues if cleared would provide sufficient working capital to these PWCS and help them reach out to better markets.

Conversion of existing PWCS under Self Help Co-operative Act 2001 -Existing co-operatives with potential could be helped to convert into the cooperative under the Self Help Co-operatives Act. For conversion to the new Act, it would be best to look only at such co-operatives as could get their audit up to date and as could wipe off losses with releases from the Govt. and Boyanika/Sambalpuri Vastralaya. The option of igno ring existing co-operatives and establishing new co-operatives in the cluster too could be explored.

Special One Time Settlement Scheme (OTS) - The Govt. is negotiating with the co-operative banks to waive the interest due since 31 -03-98 to the banks, provided the primary co-operatives pay 10% of dues (principal outstanding and interest accrued till 31 - 03-98) up front, along with 4 post dated cheques of equal amounts for the balance of amount within a year, But it is learnt that the District Co -operative Central Bank is not willing to accept the proposal as waiving of huge amount of interest would affect its balance sheet.

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Strengths

1. Ikats of Orissa have a lot of repu tation and fame2. Rich resource of traditional skills in the form of national & state awardees3. Regular sales at the local market4. Strong support from the State government departments5. Good connectivity of Barpalli with Bhubaneshwar and Kolkata by train6. Presence of substantial number of entrepreneur weavers7. Availability of credit support to the SHGs from various sources

Weaknesses

1. Dyeing quality issues2. Poor living conditions of the weavers hampering their work3. All pre-loom processes labour intensive, thus limiting the productivity4. Poor financial condition of the PWCS5. Too much dependence on governmental support6. Lack of market awareness7. Limited product range8. Ikat’s inherent limitations in terms of colours and designs9. Local market low paying and does not provide impetus to regular product

improvement10.Raw material availability at higher rates lowers the profitability Poor sanitation in

Bandhapalli Village

Opportunities

1. Increasing demand for cotton fabrics across the globe2. Persistent support from state government for various activities3. Possibility of revival of some cooperative societies under the new Self Help

Cooperative Act4. Ikat can neither be copied on power looms nor by printing

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Conclusion

The indigenously made sambalpuri sarees, though a piece of art, face many serious issues that need to be addressed. People need to be made aware of this Indian female attire, techniques of international. Standards should be incorporated in the method of production, more number of skilled workers should be engaged in the process, vocational training and workshops should be  and arranged and above all, Govt. should provided all round support.

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