To revive the ailing Tantuja, a handloom marketing unit of the Bengal government, West Bengal CM Ms. Mamata Banerjee may soon try her hand in designing sarees. The government now wants to promote the handloom unit as a global brand.
The 58-year-old chief minister, who boasts of skills from doodling to climbing trees, writing poetry to cooking Bengali delicacies, may soon try this new art.
The government has adopted the plan to revamp Tantuja, which was set up to bring all weavers of the state under a common marketing umbrella.
The minister of state for micro-, small and medium enterprises, Swapan Debnath, said on Tuesday that the chief minister wanted to play an effective role in the designing of sarees.
``The chief minister wants to have a role in the revival of Tantuja - maybe by designing sarees, or by suggesting designs of sarees,`` Debnath said.
Established in 1954 by former chief minister Bidhan Chandra Roy, Tantuja became the umbrella organisation of weavers throughout the state.
Famous for its exclusive designs and quality products, such as sarees, salwar kameez, kurtas, dhotis, stoles and lungis, the financial health of Tantuja started deteriorating since the 1990s. Going beyond the role of the chief minister is nothing new for Mamata Banerjee.
