Odisha government pays Rs 1.6 crore to Madhuri Dixit as handloom ambassador

New Delhi: The Odisha government has paid Rs 1.6 crore to actress Madhuri Dixit Nene after appointing her as the ambassador for the state’s handloom sector, the state assembly was told on Wednesday.

Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts Minister Pradeep Bal Samanta said in a written reply to a question from BJD legislator Arun Kumar Sahoo that the payment was made from the state exchequer.

He added that the government had also arranged flight tickets, accommodation and meals for the actress.

Dixit visited the state to attend a function in Bhubaneswar on National Handloom Day on August 7.

Samanta told the House that the appointment is intended to promote Odisha’s traditional handloom sector on the global stage and that the initiative would help the state’s weavers by raising the profile of their craft and improving their socio-economic status.