The Central Silk Board (CSB) has earmarked a budget of Rs6.3 crore for the development of silk industry in Odisha State in the current fiscal. They have already sanctioned Rs94 lakh and asked the State to send them more proposals under the Central Sponsored Schemes (CSS), said chairman of CSB KM Hanumantharayappa.

As promised by Union Minister for Textile and Information and Broadcasting Smriti Irani during International Women’s Day last year to replace thigh reeling, Hanumantharayappa said that Odisha has so far been provided 106 Buniyad machines.

The machines have been distributed among women reelers in Fakirpur and Ata areas of Keonjhar district. Now, they can extract high quality silk yarn through the newly developed machine. There is a demand for about another 400 machines which will be provided soon.

Odisha is predominantly a tasar producing State but Mulberry and Eri are also practised to some extent. The rich endowment of forest, hilly terrains and tribal population enhance State’s agro-climatic condition for tasar forestry.

The CSB chairman said that emphasis has also given for increase of Mulberry Silk in the State. Two cluster-based programmes are being implemented in Ghatgaon block of Keonjhar and Kashipur in Rayagada district, he added.

The CSB has provided Rs12.3 crore for implementation of 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, he informed.

Through capacity building and adoption of new technologies, Superintendent (Technical) and CSB Regional Office in-charge Dasharathi Behera said that there was increase in tasar productivity resulting in additional economic gain of farmers.

With the allotment of Rs94 lakh, they have implemented Schedule Caste Special Plan in Bhuasuni area of Mayurbhanj where 300 families will benefit. Besides, for Buniyad machines, costing about Rs10,000 each, subsidy of Rs9,000 has been provided to the women reelers.

About 20,000 tribal families in the State are practicing sericulture of which, more than 16,000 are tasar farmers. Last year, the State produced 125 tonne of silk, including 115 tonne of tasar silkr. Major tasar is produced in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts.