GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday inaugurated a golden silk park and commercial centre at Resham Nagar at Khanapara in Guwahati.
Apart from providing silkworm breed to silkworm farmers, this initiative by the Handloom and Textiles and Sericulture Department would also provide a platform to indigenous silk weavers to sell their produce.
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Addressing the event, Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma appealed to every Assamese person to take the pledge to purchase at least one handloom-woven gamusa in the upcoming Bihu celebration this month.
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He said if the 6 million families in the State decided to purchase a gamusa each, it would prove beneficial to the indigenous weavers on one hand and would contribute towards strengthening of the State’s economy on the other.
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He further appealed to the members of the general public to remain vigilant against the selling of powerloom-produced gamusas.
The Chief Minister further added that the Assamese gamusa bagging the Geographical Indications (GI) tag, coupled with numerous initiatives of the Government of Assam aimed at strengthening the handloom sector have led to build-up of a newfound confidence among the handloom entrepreneurs of the State. Schemes such as ‘Swanirbhar Nari’ through which 1.5 lakh gamusas have been procured by Artfed till date from the State’s weavers, have ensured middlemen and unscrupulous traders are no more able to lure the weavers to go for distress sale.
He appealed to the Handloom and Textiles Department to launch a massive publicity drive to make the ‘Swanirbhar Nari’ scheme a household name across the length and breadth of the State.
The Chief Minister also stressed upon the need to diversify product portfolio of muga and eri silk, without which handloom entrepreneurs of Assam wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the massive market across the country and abroad.
Today’s event was also attended by Handloom and Textiles Minister U.G. Brahma, departmental Secretary Dilip Kumar Bora, chief executive of APART Akash Deep and a host of other dignitaries.