Jharkhand?s handloom and sericulture department, which so far has been giving away its cultivated tassar silk cocoons to other states for reeling and spinning, has from this year taken up the job of value-addition within the state by starting 50 spinning & reeling centers. These centres will give direct employment to around 2,000 women.
The move is expected to have a cascading effect on employment generation in the state as several others will also get involved in various stages of tussar silk production, namely weaving, designing, apparel making and product marketing. Jharkhand, already the highest producer of tassar silk in India having produced 150 metric tonne during the last calendar year, is targeting to double it in 2008.
While around 29 spinning & reeling centres are being set up in Seraikela-Kharswan district alone, 14 and seven centres, respectively, are coming up in adjacent West Singhbhum and East Singhbhum districts. The state handloom, sericulture and handicraft department has already trained around 1,400 persons at the NIFT centre in Seraikela, said Dhirendra Kumar, director of the department. Self-help groups (SHGs) will be receiving the initial three-month training in reeling & spinning of thread from tussar cocoons at 50 spinning & reeling centers under their guidance.
Around Rs 12 lakh will be needed for setting up of each centre. So, the state government is investing Rs 6 crore on 50 centres. Kumar, who on Tuesday visited the spinning & reeling centers coming up in Ichagarh, Chandil and Nimdih blocks of Seraikela-Kharswan district, told FE that altogether six centres would be started in three blocks. With two SHGs, each comprising 20 trained women, are being formed at each of the centres, there will be around 100 SHGs in 50 centres giving direct employment to around 2,000 women.
The Jharkhand government will provide the SHGs with almost everything they need under the scheme. Working shed, machines, working capital, supply of silk cocoons at concessional rates, etc are required to train the women. A marketing tieup with the Jharkhand Silk, Textile & Handicraft Development Corp (JSTHDC) has been arranged for purchase of silk thread produced by SHGs.
“There are backward and forward linkages in the scheme we will be supplying cocoons to SHGs at reasonable rates from our cocoon banks while silk thread will be bought by the JSTHDC at the prevailing ?market rate? and sent to silk weaving centers,” said Kumar. Each woman will be able to earn around Rs 2,500-3,000 a month after training. Each center will have the capacity to produce around 100 kg silk thread every month.