Centre urged to review Amendment to CSB Act

Mysore, Dec 23 (UNI) Karnataka Sericulturists Welfare Association President S S Sadananda today urged the Union Government to review the Central Silk Board (Amendment) Act 2006 in consultation with the State governments.

Talking to UNI here, he said the amendment, which has already received Presidential assent, not only infringes upon the right of the silkworm cocoon rearers to use seeds of their choice but also expose them to risk of manipulation by the dealers and merchants.

Terming the amendment as 'Inimical' to the growth of Sericulture industry in Karnataka, which has been accounting for 60 per cent of the country's silk production.

The restriction on production of seeds for silkworm cocoons envisaged in the amendment deprived sericulturists of their right to choose seeds. With the amendment making it clear that no silkworm seed or any kind or variety shall, for the purpose of production or for commercial exploitation be produced, supplied, traded, sold or disposed off by a producer or dealer unless he is registered by a registration committee, farmers would be seriously affected, he alleged.

Sericulture farmers prefer to rear Cocoons of their choice to reduce expenditure. They prefer acclimatised silkworm races and a majority of them opt for multivoltine Mysore cross breed variety.

''Restrictions imposed in the Amendment was unfair'', he added.

He said that the absence of a provision to auction cocoons at markets established specially for the purpose put the farmers at disadvantage.

Mr Sadananda, who was a retired official in the Department of Sericulture, feared that the price of cocoons would collapse because of Amendment.

He also said that the amendment failed to specify role for the State Department of Sericulture, which had been overseeing the Sericulture activities.

UNI BSP MSP AD KN1531