CSB Chairman defends amendments to the Act

Bangalore, Dec 30 (UNI) Central Silk Board (CSB) Chairman H Hanumanthappa today defended amendments made to the Central Silk Board Act stating that the main aim was to produce, certify and distribute good quality eggs in sufficient quantities to the farmers throughout the country.

Talking to newspersons here, he said that there were numerous misgivings among the farmers about the amendments passed in September and the reports appearing in a section of the press have not revealed correct picture of the amendments and draft rules.

''By supplying assured quality eggs, farmers will harvest good cocoon yield and the reelers will also get an assured supply of quality cocoons throughout the year,'' he said adding that for the faster and overall development of the industry the amendments were felt necessary.

The Act has been amended keeping the sole objective of providing good quality seed to the reares, to enable them to harvest more cocoons of good quality, he added.

He said the draft rules are under preparation and the final drafts would give due importance to major silk producing states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir, considering their views for the overall development of the silk industry in the country.

He said the amendments are industry-friendly, stakeholders friendly. They take into account interests of all the stake holders right from egg producers to weavers, to make India's silk-competitive, both domestically and in the international market.

Mr Hanumathappa said that the Union Minister of State for Textile would visit the state on January 11 to hold discussion with the representatives of farmers and other stake holders in the industry before finalising the rules.

To a question on private entrepreneurs taking advantage of the new amendments, he said that a proposal for introducing a minimum support price for the cocoon is under consideration to protect the interests of the farmers in times of distress sale.

UNI SIV MSP PKS BS2003