The Orissa government has urged the centre to wave off cooperative loans pending against weavers. Loans amounting to Rs. 285 crore, extended by several weavers' cooperative societies are still left for recovery in the state.

Arati Ahuja, the textiles and handloom secretary of the Orissa government,said, "We have written to the Centre to write off the cooperative loans pending agaisnt the weavers in the state. The chief minister Naveen Patnaik has also discussed the matter with the Union textiles minister."

The waiver of cooperative loans is reckoned to help thousand of weavers in the state who had availed loans from 577 weavers' cooperative societies and the apex cooperative body. According to the latest census, the total number of weavers and looms in Orissa are 4,15,261 and 1,19,005 respectively.

Ahuja said that Orissa government has emphasized the development of handloom industries in the state in the organized sector by providing modern looms, accessories, and training the weavers so that they develop the required skills. The state government has also directed the field level staff to implement the measures that would help in improvising the economic condition of weavers.

Ahuja also revealed that they have adopted cluster development approach to assist in handloom production. She said that, as many as 26 clusters had been developed out of which five were major clusters.