Wednesday, April 5 2006 12:05 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jamshedpur: Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda inaugurated a silk training centre at Aamda under his assembly constituency Kharswan in Saraikela-Kharswan district to promote silk at the international level.

Addressing the gathering last evening Munda said National Institute of Fashion Designing (NIFD) will train over 5000 people in the next three years to give silk products a international recognition.

The Chief Minister said Jharkhand was the largest producer of cocoon in the country but we could not avail its benefits as yet due to lack of expertise in the field.

Claiming that Jharkhand has tremendous potential in silk, Munda said the setting up of a training centre jointly by the state Government and NIFD would help the people of the state to promote silk at the international level and expected to market silk products worth rupees three thousand crores in the next five years.

The Chief Minister said Jharkhand Government had promised to promote Kuchai silk not only in the country but at the international level. He said the state government has plan to improve cocoon production in Kuchai and Kharswan in the district with an aim to accord it an industrial status.

An exhibition on Kuchail silk organised in Malayasia had an overwhelming response recently, he said, adding that promoting silk industry would generate employment in rural belt particularly women, who can avail the advantage of training centre.

He urged the self-help groups to participate in this field as promotion of silk products will help to improve the economy of not only Jharkhand but the country.

S K Satpathy, Secretary (Industries), Government of Jharkhand, said this part of the state alone produce about 130 mt of cocoon worth about Rs 100 crores.

The officials of the NIFD, who were present on the occasion, displayed various design of silk products and described about the training centre.

The Director of NIFD, Kolkata, Shantanu received a cheque of Rs one crore from the Chief Minister to promote the residential silk training centre.

The Chairman of Jharkhand state Khadi and village industry board, Jainandu said another silk training center will be set in Kuchai soon by the board, where the villagers will be impart training of weaving, spinning and fashion designing of silk products.