Women weave success story in Gopalpur

KENDRAPADA: Smile is writ large on the faces of women members of 24 self-help groups (SHGs) in Jajpur's Gopalpur village. They are now able to earn a livelihood by weaving scarves, silk saris and cloth. This was possible after the government included them under Centre's Integrated Handloom Development Scheme, thus facilitating bank loans for them.
"Three years ago, a local bank sanctioned Rs 1 lakh loan to our SHG.Now all 12 members weave around 120 silk saris a month, thus earning around Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000," said secretary of Shree Satyasai SHG Urmila Das, 43.
The central help has also freed them from the clutches of middleman. The women now sell their products to the handloom and textiles department and handloom cooperative societies. It helps them get a better price for their product. "We buy tussar from Odisha Cooperative Tussar and Silk Federation Limited. A kilogram costs Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,400. The saris usually weigh 400 to 600 gram and sell for Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000," added Das.
This is the success story of 300 women of the village in Rasulpur block. "I have immensely benefitted from this. Earlier, I used to sit idle at home. Now I am earning about Rs 5,000 a month from weaving," said Sabita Dutta, 24, whose family was in a financial crisis.
They are being encouraged by the textiles department. "Our department has been encouraging women SHGs to weave silk saris in Gopalpur by providing training and financial helps," said deputy director Gadadhar Das.
According to a villager Harihar Das, weaving in Gopalpur is seven centuries old after weavers from Nadia district of West Bengal settled in the village.