West Bengal government offers Rs 120 crore compensation to flood affected Bengal tant weavers

KOLKATA: After the recent floods in West Bengal, the state government has reached out to help the weaver’s fraternity in the area. The state government is rolling out compensation to the tune of Rs 120 crore for the tant weavers of the state.

Tant is a type of fabric that usually made into sarees.

The major areas effected by the flood earlier this month were Burdwan, Hooghly, Howrah, West Midnapore, East Midnapore, South 24-Parganas, North 24-Parganas, Nadia, Murshidabad, Bankura and Birbhum districts. Many out of these especially areas like Murshuidabad, Nadia, Birbhum have thick clusters of tant weavers who work mostly out of their homes.

The help came immediately after the state’s post-flood review found out that the tant weavers of the south Bengal had suffered immense loss. “The State Government had launched the programme Tant Sathi recently. Rs 120 crore has now been allotted to Tant Sathi for the compensation to the tant weavers,” said the website of Trinamool Congress.

Bengal is known for its tant fabric which is being promoted by the state government on national and international platforms. The government has been working actively to revive the art in the city. The State Government promoted organization Tantuja, which was a sick organization under the past government had made a generating a profit of Rs 1.98 crore this year.