By Janaki Ballav Dash: The government’s decision to dissolve the Odisha Leather Corporation (OLC) due to continuous loss has deprived many their livelihood. The income, expenditure sheet of OLC shows a growing liability for the government & hence it was decided to close it by selling its costly machinery.
These machineries have already been put to auction. The OLC was established in 1976 to improve the living condition of weaker sections of cobblers & persons eking out their living by trading on leather materials. The political interference made the work difficult at the OLC. With lack of transparency and sincere efforts to revive the fortunes, the work process was badly affected.
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The OLC employees union have expressed anguish over the functioning of the Corporation, which is leading to its closure. Presently the OLC has two shoe making factories at Cuttack & Rourkela, three tanneries at Rayagada, Boudh and Titilagarh and the shoe factory at Chandeneswar at a cost of Rs 4 crore.
Thanks to the government apathy, When the neighbouring states like Assam, Bihar and West Bengal have successfully running their leather corporations, Odisha prefers the closure instead of revival for mysterious reasons.