BHUBANESWAR: Some of the exquisite Odishan arts and crafts could become costly from Saturday. Though there is no clarity on it yet. In the pre-GST era, handicraft products like famous applique of Pipili, stone works and wood crafts, terracota, pattachitra and tribal arts attracted no tax.
However, GST provisions that works of art, antiques, paintings and drawings would invite tax at 12 per cent. It means that some of the authentic crafts including the famous Raghurajpur pattachitra could become costlier soon.
Similarly, handloom products manufactured by weavers were exempted from tax but post-GST, there is no clarity on the tax they would attract though the State Government had demanded that handloom and handicraft products should be kept out of the GST ambit.
The weavers of western Odisha as well as in South where indigenous communities manufacture elegant tribal arts and crafts are also unsure if they would be impacted. The story of the “tarakasi” works of Cuttack is same with no clarity provided even by the State Government.