CUTTACK: The much-delayed ultra-modern silver filigree hub for Cuttack may soon see the light of the day.The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has given a proposal to the State government for the project that would be implemented at a cost of Rs 2.7 crore under Central government sponsored Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood (Sankalp) scheme.
Besides establishment of the filigree hub, the civic body has planned to contemporise the traditional filigree designs, brand the craft and popularise it across the world by providing an online marketing platform to the artisans.
The CMC proposal includes setting up of work stations and training centres for the artisans. As many as 600 silver filigree artists will be identified and imparted skill enhancement training for 10 months. “There will be a trademark for Cuttack’s filigree and an e-commerce platform having linkage to various online markets for the artisans. This will facilitate buyer-seller intervention to increase their sales”, said CMC Deputy Commissioner Swetapadma Satapathy.
She hoped that the design development and online marketing will help popularise the silver filigree craft across the world. “Producer groups will be formed with the 600 traditional artisans to constitute a co-operative society that will help in making them self-sustainable,” said Satapathy.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan during his visit to Cuttack in 2018 had announced to popularise the silver filigree craft and its artisans under the Sankalp scheme which was launched the same year. The filigree hub was planned under the scheme which had a six-year implementation period till March 2023. With one year to go for the scheme to end, the civic body has initiated the process for development of silver filigree craft and its artisans.
IN THE OFFING
Training for 600 filigree artisans
Design development