CUTTACK: Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS), Cuttack in a bid to introduce value addition training to traditional potters, conducted a training programme for 40 members of Om Sai Mahila Producer group in Talabasta village under Damapada block. To leverage their generational skills, the organisation provided them with forwarding linkage through collaboration with Khadi Village India Commission (KVIC) wherein the training programme was organised for them at Kapaleswar temple in Talabasta on Thursday, focusing mainly on product development and product diversification.
Promoted and supported by the organisation, these workers have been practising traditional pottery and making beautiful products like utensils, artifacts, flower vases, water containers, animal sculptures and ceiling decor items, among others. While 40 electric pottery wheels and mud grinders were distributed, members of the producers’ groups were imparted training on mud processing techniques aiming at drudgery reduction, exponential increase in productivity and efficiency level which would ultimately lead to enhanced price realisation and profit maximisation.
“For ensuring value addition and design development of the terracotta products, ORMAS, Cuttack has joined hands with Mumbai-based Pidilite Industries whose master craftsmen will train the workers on making glazed terracotta and brief them on nuanced colour combination techniques to augment the aesthetic element in the products,” said Bipin Bihari Rout, Joint CEO, ORMAS. The coat application of glaze would increase water-resistance of the products, he added.
Among others, Banki MLA Devi Ranjan Tripathy and KVIC Director Samir Kumar Mohanty participated.