Plan to promote silk industry in NE

GUWAHATI, January 29: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with Central Silk Board (CSB) has launched a Rs 1654.15 lakh programme under country co-operation framework to support the promotion and development of muga and eri silk industry in Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland, for three years. Inaugurating a 15-day resource development programme here, Joint Director of CSB and sub-programme coordinator of UNDP, JV Krishna Rao said the non-mulberry silk development programme would focus on participation of rural masses especially women. The programme will also focus on profitable marketing of muga and eri silk products by forming self-help groups. The programme will cover 1360 beneficiaries under muga sector and 3290 beneficiaries in eri silk sector in Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland. The UNDP sponsored programme will invest Rs 569.88 lakh in Assam, Rs 78.63 lakh in Meghalaya in muga silk sector. It will also invest Rs 578.81 lakh in Assam, Rs 271.89 lakh in Meghalaya and Rs 154.94 lakh in Nagaland in development of eri silk sector.