Silk weavers in Chhattisgarh to get Skill Upgradation Training : Deputy Director, A Ayaz     

Chhattisgarh : In order to promote hand-loom silk industry, Department of Rural Industries, Government of Chhattisgarh, is going to provide skill up-gradation training to silk weavers. Deputy Director of Directorate of Rural Industries Chhattisgarh A Ayaz said that silk weavers would get skill up-gradation training.

The Ministry of Textiles, Government of India has sanctioned six handloom clusters for the state. Skill upgradation training would be provided to silk weavers at four block handloom silk clusters- Baloda, Navagarh, Dabra and Babnidih in Janjgir-Champa district, the Deputy Director added.

Tussar silk is produced at Bastar, Surguja, Korba and other parts of the state. Cacoon is grown on sal, saja and arjuna trees. Tribal people collect cacoon from these trees and later they sell in local markets. Tussar fabric weavers procure cacoon from local markets. Cacoon is boiled and silk fibre is produced. Raigarh and Janjgir-Champa are two major districts of tussar fabric production.

Champa, Baloda, Shakti, Chandrapur, Seoni, Kurda, Amoda, Choriya and Birra in Janjgir-Champa district are dense silk weaver pockets while Raigarh city, Murra, Sarangarh, Loying, Kabirnagar and Tarpali are dense silk weaver pockets in Raigarh district. Home furnishing, dress materials, dupatta, shawl and other items are major production at Champa while Raigarh town, Chandrapur and Sarangarh are major tussar silk sari production centres. Indian Institute of Handloom Technology (IIHT) has been set up at Champa in 2006 where skill manpower is prepared for Chhattisgarh handloom industry. Around 350 metric tonne silk yarn is prepared every year in Chhattisgarh. Around 60 crore direct or indirect export is done through tussar silk and around 53 lakh metre kosa silk is prepared every year in the state. Thousands of rural people depend on handloom industry, A Ayaz said.

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