NEW VISTAS: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik going round the sericulture exhibition organised in Bhubaneswar on Thursday.

BHUBANESWAR: The government will soon set up a tasar research and training institute for farmers and officials to give a boost to the handloom sector in the State.

Inaugurating the two-day workshop on sericulture organised by the Department of Textile and Handloom, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the proposed institute would help farmers produce quality silk by using advanced technology.

Priority areas

The institute, which would be the first of its kind in the State for farmers and trainers who were scattered in different districts, would come up on the department's own land available in Bhubaneswar.

"We have raised budgetary allocation four times this year for handloom sector.

In the 11th Five Year Plan, infrastructure development of Serifed and irrigation would get priority for providing farmers rich economic benefit," Mr. Patnaik said. Secretary to Textile and Handloom Anita Agnihotri said budgetary provisions for the tasar research centre would be made this fiscal and details of the institute was being worked out.

Orissa produces some 60 million tonne silk every year while some 13,000 farmers are employed in the sector.

Speaking on the sidelines of the workshop, Chairman of Central Silk Board H. Hanumanthappa said Orissa had a huge potential to grow in handloom sector.

"We are trying to eliminate middlemen in this sector by collecting cocoons through the public distribution system from tribals.

The system could stop exploitation of tribals. We had earlier tried this formula in Jharkhand," Mr. Hanumanthappa said.

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