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Bhubaneswar, August 20: The state handloom and handicrafts department recently sought of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to identify a space to establish a special vending zone for promotion of handicrafts in the state.
The BMC is yet to act on the proposal but according to some BMC officials, the vending zone is likely to come up in Bomikhal.
At present Ekamra Haat is the only place which has an exclusive vending zone for handicraft products. But even vendors there are finding the going tough due to low tourist footfall over the past few years.
The poor business prospects at the haat is a cause for concern among craftsmen even while they are happy that a new facility is likely to be added for promotion of handicrafts.
Jyoti Shankar Sahu, a Dhokra artiste based in Ekamra Haat, said the special vending zone will help weavers and handicraft artists. “Selection of a suitable place for the zone, however, is a must. It will be more convenient if the shops are located on the roadside and are made easily visible to tourists. It should not be like Ekamra Haat which is not visible to tourists. This affects our business.”
According to Jyoti Shankar, such a facility would be best located at Chandrasekharpur or Sahid Nagar.
“There is a better possibility of doing good business there. Handicrafts and other decorative items are purchased mostly by people of the monied class; therefore such zones should come up in places where they frequent.”
The vending zone is expected to come up by the end of 2017 and it will be the second special vending zone besides the fruit vending zone at Kharvela Nagar.
In Orissa, about 50 types of handicraft products are made, of which 21 will be sold in as many stalls at the zone. Products such as brass and bell metal ware, silver filigree products, terracotta products, appliqué work, stone and wood carvings will be available at the shops. The kiosks will be allotted to traditional artisans and they will sell the products there at reasonable prices.
Nayana, a pattachitra artiste and dealer of bell metal works, said: “The idea sounds very interesting but tourist footfall in the city is dwindling by the day. Therefore, we first need to ensure an increase in tourists flow as they are the ones who purchase most of these items. I suggest that such a vending zone be developed in an area that has higher tourist footfall. We have to consider business, too.”
Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena acknowledged that BMC?had received the letter from the handicrafts directorate. “But we have not finalised anything yet. Setting up a special vending zone for handicrafts is a good idea, which we hope will boost the handicrafts sector,” he said.
Director of handicrafts and cottage industries Sanghamitra Kanungo, too, said the platform will benefit artisans. “We want to provide handicraft makers a common platform where they can sell all products. It will definitely boost market for such products,” Sanghamitra said.
