Union Minister Smriti Irani Friday inaugurated two projects under the ministry of textiles at Udalguri district in Assam aimed at the economic uplift of the people below the poverty line by Eri silk farming.
Inaugurating a Rs 55 crore Integrated Soil to Silk Project, she said it would generate direct employment for 15,600 people during the project period and 7,000 persons per year when the project attains full capacity,
The project, she said, envisages new Eri plantation on 100 hectares and will facilitate post cocoon activities for on-farm sector like plantation, spinning and reeling.
Through it the Central Silk board will work towards rejuvenation of 600 hectares of existing Eri farms and provide handlooms and work sheds to 2500 weavers which in turn will provide important linkages for self-sustenance of the production activities, she said.
Inaugurating the Eri Spun Silk Mill, Irani said that the expected turnover from this project during the first year is around Rs 10 crore with a net profit of Rs three crore.
The project, which will be implemented directly by the state government in co-coordination with the Central Silk Board, is expected to generate direct employment for 107 persons throughout the year.
It will provide indirect employment to around another 1,500 Eri farmers through backward linkage and to around 730 weavers through forward linkage, she added.
Irani specially mentioned the Eri Silk Development Project, which has been dedicated for sustainable livelihood for women of Bodoland Territorial Council through tapioca plantation at Kokrajhar.
"The objective of the project is to utilize tapioca plantation for dual purpose - the tuber for food and the leaves for Eri silkworm to cover tribal families below poverty line, besides exploiting available natural resources to the best advantage of the Eri silkworm rearing and weaving sector," she said adding 1400 beneficiaries will be covered by it.
Exhorting people to adopt and practice turning waste silk into new fabric, she said it will help in realising the idea of "waste to wealth".
Irani congratulated the Central Silk Board in realising the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of establishing and making functional an apparel manufacturing factory in each of the north east states within two years of his making the commitment.
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