Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Friday laid the foundation stone of silk printing and processing units, eri spinning mill in Udalguri.
They also visited the Udalguri Sericulture Office complex at Sapkhaiti on the outskirts of Udalguri town.
Irani laid the foundation stone of the silk processing units while Kiren Rijiju, inaugurated the Common Facility Centre for Ambar Charkha Eri Silk knitted units, Common Facility for farm activities and silk spinning unit and launched the integrated Eri Silk Spinning Development Project by utilising tapioca plantation under North East Region Textile Promotion Scheme(NERTPS).
Among those present were Mangaldai Lok Sabha MP, Ramen Deka, Rajya Sabha M.P Biswajit Daimari, BTC Dy. Chief, Kampa Borgoyary, Speaker of BTC Assembly, Tridip Daimari, EM of BTC, Deven Boro, Director of Sericulture, BTC, Dr. Bhaben Deuri among others.
It is pertinent here to mention that the BTAD region enjoys the unique distinction of producing all the three varieties of commercially exploited natural silks — eri, muga and mulberry.
The Bodo belt is the largest producer of eri raw silk in Assam after Karbi Anglong. A total land area of 2,895 hectares is covered under muga, eri and mulberry silkworm food plant in the BTAD with 51,195 families being directly involved in sericulture.