Four silk reeling centres to get a new lease of life

Karnataka has proposed to rejuvenate four silk reeling centres by assisting silk farmers, at a cost of Rs 4.7 crore .

Silk reeling centres of Mamballi, Mudigundanur, Kollegal and Chamarajanagar will be given a new lease of life over the next six months.

"The centres had been closed a few years ago owing to non-availability of silk cocoons for reeling," Karnataka?s sericulture and SSI minister Katta Subrahmanya Naidu told reporters on Thursday.

In recent times, farmers of the region have upped their silk production. Therefore, the government has decided to rejuvenate the four centres. The government intends to hire 300 contractual staff to rejuvenate the centres.

However, another silk reeling centre, located at Channapatna will not be rejuvenated. "The financial implications of rejuvenating the Channapatna centre are too high. Besides, the supply of silk cocoons to this centre is very poor," the minister said.

The Channapatna silk reeling centre is located on a 20-acre plot. "The government will convert the plot into a permanent exhibition centre for handicraft. Channapatna is known for handmade toys and handicraft. With the assistance of self help groups, 2,000 local women artisans will be permitted to exhibit their products," Naidu explained.

The government has also decided to hand over the loss-making Leather Industries Development Corporation of Karnataka (Lidkar), a public sector undertaking, to the Social Welfare Department for rejuvenation.

LIDKAR was declared sick and referred to the Board of Industrial Finance and Reconstruction (BIFR). The BIFR recommended the closure of LIDKAR.

"However, owing to political opposition and a section of the community, the government has decided to rejuvenate it. The Social Welfare department will evolve a package for the rejuvenation," the minister stated.

The LIDKAR?s liabilities, Rs 11.70 crore, will be cleared by the government before it is handed over to the Social Welfare department, Naidu added.