Governor Droupadi Murmu has appealed to the scientists to develop low-cost, profit-earning tools and techniques in the field of tassar industry which could be effective in all types of geographical conditions.
Speaking on the occasion of the 54th Foundation Day of the Central Tassar Research and Training Institute (Ranchi) on Monday, she said that forest-based tassar industry had proved to be a boon to poor farmers in distant villages of the State.
“Tassar silk worm keeping has been a traditional business of scheduled tribes and poor farmers in the State. However, it yielded very limited income due to lack of scientific methods, tools and techniques. But we have seen farmers actively opting this as their business in recent years after intervention of scientific methods and awareness. It is good to see that forest-based industry has started changing lives of hundreds of poor farmers, mostly from Scheduled Tribes fraternity,” said Murmu.
The Governor, who also inaugurated Gene Bank of Tasar silk worm feed plants, Tasar Technology Park, Training Hostel and Tasar Exhibition on the occasion, appreciated contribution of Central Tasar Research and Training Institute so far, saying that it had helped Tassar farmers a lot in getting their income increased considerably in the State. “The institute has took Jharkhand to where it has started been recognized as capital of Tassar silk in the country.
The Gene Bank created by the institute which keeps records of 341 species of Tassar Silk worm feed plant is one of its kind in country which will help emerging scientists in the field a lot,” said Murmu.
Institute Director Ajit Kumar Sinha said that the research and development works carried out by the Institute for the last 53 years helped Tassar silk production volume by whopping 22 times. “Moreover, as many as 3.5 lakh poor families are being fed by the industry now which is a testimony to what the Institute has given to the society in its journey of over half a century,” said Sinha where Jharkhand State Khadi Board Chairman Sanjay Seth, Ranchi Mayor Asha lakra, Ranchi University Vice Chancellor RK Pandey, veteran environmentalist CR Babu and dozens of other officials of the Institute among others were also present.
The Governor also awarded Gold Medal and Certificate to the toppers of Post Graduate Diploma in Sericulture run by the Institute during last five years. Notably, the Institute is going to demonstrate all its contributions and outcomes during forthcoming mega event named Textiles India-2017 in Gandhinagar (Gujarat) on June 30-July 2. Organized by the Union Ministry of Textiles, the event is going to be first of its kind and one of the largest trade events in the world where over one lakh of delegates from across the world are expected to participate, where Jharkhand is participating as a ‘Focused State’.