India's silk board seeks more proposals from Odisha

10 Jan '18

2 min read

India’s Central Silk Board (CSB), which has allocated 6.3 crore for Odisha in the current fiscal, has sought more proposals from the state government under the central sponsored schemes (CSS) for development of silk industry there. The board has already sanctioned Rs 94 lakh and provided 106 Buniyad machines, according to CSB Chairman KM Hanumantharayappa.

The machines have been distributed among women reelers in Fakirpur and Ata areas of Keonjhar district. There is a demand for about another 400 machines which will be provided soon, a report in a top south Indian daily quoted Hanumantharayappa as saying.

Though Odisha is predominantly a tasar silk-producing state, emphasis has also been given to increased production of mulberry silk there. Two cluster-based programmes in that regard are being implemented in Ghatgaon block of Keonjhar and Kashipur in Rayagada district, he said.

The board has provided Rs 12.3 crore for implementation of the Vanya Cluster Promotion Programme (VCPP) besides Promotion of tasar culture under Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) in Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts where around 1,500 farmers have benefited. The beneficiaries have been provided 90 per cent assistance as subsidy.

The state produced 125 tonnes of silk, including 115 tonne of tasar silk, last year. Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Sundargarh are the major tasar producing districts. About 20,000 tribal families in the state practise sericulture of which, more than 16,000 are tasar farmers. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India

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