New Delhi, 1 April (IANS). India’s raw silk production is estimated to be 34,042 metric tonnes in the April-January period of 2024-25, which is about 10,000 tonnes higher than the 24,299 metric tonnes of the same period of 2014-15. This information was given in Parliament on Tuesday.
Minister of State for Textiles, Pabitra Margerita, told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply to a question that the Catalitic Development Program, North East Region Textile Promotion Scheme (NERTPS), Integrated Scheme for Development of Silk Samagra and Silk Samagra-2 has been increased due to central schemes such as central schemes.
He also said that according to raw silk production till January this year, estimated employment generation in the silk sector is 80.90 lakh people, of which 71.2 lakh persons got direct employment and 9.7 lakh people got indirect employment.
The Minister of State for Textiles said that the installation and operation of 109 automatic reeling machines in the country has increased the production of quality silk (3A and 4A) quality silk in India.
He said that the government is running the Resham Samagra-2 scheme with a outlay of Rs 4,679.85 crore for the overall development of the silk industry in the country from 2021-22 to 2025-26 through the Central Silk Board.
The Minister of State for Textiles said that under this scheme, the states are provided financial assistance for the implementation of significant intervention.
This includes preparation of farmer nursery, silkworm farming package (plantation, irrigation, rearing house, rearing equipment and support for relieved measures), installation of choki rearing centers in pre-convened fields, support for silk insect seed area, silk reeling, spinning, weaving, processing components for post cocoons.
He further said that till now the states have been provided central assistance of Rs 1,075.58 crore to the states to cover about 78,000 beneficiaries under the Resham Composite-2 scheme.
Additionally, through research and development activity, silk production and productivity have been improved to achieve the target of self -sufficient India in the silk field.
He said that on the basis of proposals received from the states, during the last three years, including the current year, Andhra Pradesh has been provided a central assistance of Rs 72.50 crore to Andhra Pradesh and Rs 40.66 crore to Telangana.
-IANS
SKT/ABM