Category : Odisha

Mukhyamantri Resham Vikas Yojana – A Push To Odisha’s Sericulture Sector

• Mukhyamantri Resham Vikas Yojana (MRVY) is a flagship initiative aims to strengthen sericulture sector of Odisha.
• It also to empower farmers, particularly in rural & tribal areas by strengthening silkworm seed infrastructure, expanding host plantation and promoting modern rearing techniques.
• The scheme will focus on increasing silk production including Eri and Muga for Karuna Silk Production and will provide support to Tasar silk parks and women engaged in these clusters.
• Nodal Ministry – Ministry of Handlooms, Textiles & Handicrafts. Odisha State Sericulture Research and Training Institute will be established as a hub for training and technology transfer.
• A Budget outlay of 274.22 crore has been sanctioned for a period of five years.

What is Karuna Silk?

• Weavers of Routapada in Khordha district make “Khandua Patta” for Lord Jagannatha and His siblings by using Karuna Silk.
• Karuna Silk is called a peaceful, vegan and cruelty-free silk. It is a gentle, non violent method of making silk from Eri Silkworms without killing them.
• A typical Mulberry silk saree is produced by killing 10,000 to 20,000 silk worms. Similarly in traditional process 5,000 to 7,000 silkworms are killed to make Tasar silk saree. Hence Karuna Silk Saree has caught attention for its cruelty-free and chemical-free nature where silkworms are not killed.

Sericulture Sector in Odisha –

• Four kinds of silk – Tasar, Muga, Eri & Mulberry silk are now being commercially cultivated in Odisha.
• Tasar Silk is the predominant activity as a major benefactor of tribal communities.
• Sericulture is highly labour intensive and hence provides livelihood support to thousands of families – 80% of households belong to ST communities and women.
• Currently 12,000 hectares of Odisha are under sericulture.
• The Government has planned to promote castor and tapioca-based Eri Silk for production of Karuna Silk.   
• Mulberry clusters will be promoted to ensure a steady supply of “Basunga Patta for Shree Jagannatha Temple, Puri”.