Mamata Banerjee expands her footprint: After logos and ads,to give designs for saris

The design centre has been sanctioned Rs 2 crore and more funds are on the anvil.

Mamata Banerjee the Chief Minister,politician and painter is now also Mamata the sari designer. In a bid to promote Tantuja,the West Bengal governments dying handloom outlet,she has decided to take the designing of the saris sold by it in her own hands.

And thats just the latest product that the CM believes will benefit from her personal touch. She has earlier designed logos for government programmes,decided the colour schemes to be used in government advertisements carrying her portraits,as well as provided inputs on how to promote Bengals small and medium enterprises.

Even her flagship project Kanyashree,for the girl child,launched about a month back had a logo designed by her a girls face,with the slogan Study and Smile. I am emotionally attached to the scheme and decided to draw the logo myself, Mamata announced at the schemes launch.

For Tantuja,she plans to bring in new designs as well as push the use of more vegetable dyes. From next week,over 400 weavers from across West Bengal will be joining the State Handloom Design Centre set up recently at Tantuja Bhavan. The CM will interact with these weavers,coming from primary weavers cooperatives,and talk about her designs and the use of vegetable and non-chemical dyes, said Swapan Debnath,Minister for Small and Medium Enterprises.

The design centre has been sanctioned Rs 2 crore and more funds are on the anvil.

Tantuja Managing Director R K Roy claims Tantuja sales have already shown a rise under Mamata. The CM has been giving her patronage for the past two years. Sales have picked up from Rs 53 crore in 2009-10 to Rs 76 crore in 2011-12.

They can expect a boost with the CM giving her designs and inputs,he says. With VVIP designs we may have some high-end customers as well.

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An official of the Information and Cultural Affairs Department confirmed that Mamata also personally goes through the colour schemes for government advertisements featuring her photos. She will also be picking up the logo to be used for the Kolkata Film Festival,starting November 10.

An emerging Kolkata-based fashion designer,Agnimitra Paul,welcomes Mamatas participation in designing Tantuja saris. In Delhi,khadi has excelled because many important leaders have patronised wearing khadi clothes, says Paul. Designs from a CM might add brand value to the product.

Well-known painter Suvaprasanna also sees the bright side: It is not that her works are excellent always but it reflects a sincere desire to do something.

Subrata Nagchoudhury