Silk park in Malda soon

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Nov 29: - The Malda sericulture department has forwarded 85 interested applicants for the proposed Silk Park to the infrastructure leasing financial development corporation (IDFLC) for screening. The sericulture officials said all interested 85 entrepreneurs have come from this district to take part in the Silk Park. “We would be able to set up Silk Park here if at least 40 entrepreneurs out of 85 are selected”, said Mr. Bijan Mandal, the deputy director, Malda sericulture. Mr. Mandal said: “we are facing problem land (35 to 40 acres) in this district for setting up the park at present. As alternative to the required land we have selected an unused state filature at Madhughaat in Kaliachak and another sericulture farm house at Ramchandrapur of our department.” “At present we have a total of 15 acres land. Owing to lack of required land it was discussed that multi storied building may meet up the crisis of land for setting up the park”, Mr. Mandal said. According to the sericulture officials, the experts of the ILFDC will organise another workshop to train the selected entrepreneurs interested to join the Silk Park here after selecting them from 85 applicants. The object of it is to produce finished silk products for export to foreign countries within a park where there would be various units from reeling of silk yarn to finished items silk.A top ranking sericulture official said: “the district does not have its own silk brand like Bangalore silk or Murshidabad silk but Malda is producing quantity of raw silk and other districts and states depend on the production of this district. This silk park may establish a brand name for Malda silk if everything goes in the right direction.” The primary survey reports that 44,700 farmers are engaged in sericulture. The district produces 12,576 MT reeling cocoon, 1,350 MT raw silk and 585 MT waste silk.