Govt plans silk park in Malda

Manas R Bannerjee

MALDA, April 9: The state government is planning to set up a silk park in Malda to boost silk production in the district. Three state ministers ~ Mr Manab Mukherjee, Mr Narayan Biswas and Mr Sailen Sarkar ~ today held a meeting with the officials concerned and representatives of small scale industrial units to discuss ways of setting up the proposed silk park. Mr Manab Mukherjee reportedly requested the Malda district magistrate, Mr CR Das and sabhadhipati of Malda zilla parishad, Mr Goutam Chakraborty, to select a suitable plot of land in Kaliachak area, where the farmers produce cocoons, for setting up the silk park. It was also discussed that the state government would develop infrastructure for the new silk park and welcome the private entrepreneurs. According to the proposal, there would a group of units, based on sufficient local production of cocoons, for reeling of silk yarn and twisting of yarn. “The department is planning to promote value added silk (textile) industries here”, the minister, said. Mr Bijan Mandal, deputy director of sericulture, micro small enterprise and textile, said: “Mr Manab Mukherjee held a meeting with us to review the progress of sericulture here and its prospects. The three ministers also interacted with the local entrepreneurs about the proposed silk park. If private entrepreneurs do not show interest in this concept, it would become difficult for us to materialise it.” According to officials, Mr Mukherjee today visited Piasbari near Gour in English Bazaar. Pisabari is a model unit of quality mulberry plantation and rearing of cocoons. The minister also visited a private silk unit at Danga near Sujapur in Kaliachak and the entrepreneur reportedly expressed his interest to be a part of the proposed silk park.The annual estimated production of raw silk yarn in Malda district is about 85 percent of the total output of West Bengal. If considered in terms of money, it amounts to approximately Rs 4 crore. In Malda, 1,124 MT of silk yarn (including the fine and coarse varieties, motka, among other types) is produced. The target is to produce up to 1,500 MTs of silk yarn in the next three years. Officials said that at a time when the silk producers were facing a financial crisis in adopting modern technology for producing fine silk yarn here, DCM (Dupion Coarser and Motka) is the best way to develop the silk industry here. “Malda is dominating the Indian market of Dupion and Motka,’’ Mr Mandal, said.