Ambitious Muga Mission Stuck In A Time Warp!

GUWAHATI: Every year, ambitious projects are promised in the annual budget in Assam. However, when it comes to their implementation, most of such projects get stuck in the ‘spirit-is-willing, but the flesh-is-weak’ syndrome. The ambitious Mission Muga that was promised in the State’s annual Budget, 2017-18 has also got stuck in such a situation.

With sugar-coated phrases, the mission proposed a 10-fold increase in the production of muga silk by 2026 with a vision to make Assam a leader in the world muga market. Besides muga weavers and rearers, the mission was supposed to encompass modern marketing outlets and e-marketing to reach the global consumers. A society in the Handloom Textiles and Sericulture Department – Assam Silk Outreach Mission Society – was registered with a view to producing one million kg muga by 2026.

According to sources in the Directorate of Sericulture, Rs 465 crore has been allocated to insure 10-fold increase in muga silk production. To achieve that end, the Budget had an allocation of Rs 100 crore in 2017-18, and Rs 10 crore 2018-19.

“We’ve already handed over the Rs 100 crore to Assam Silk Outreach Mission Society. However, we got the allocation of 2017-18 only in September 2018. The society has spent only 33 per cent of the amount handed over to it. Since we couldn’t submit utilization certificate of the Rs 100 crore, the Finance Department has not released Rs 10 crore that was meant for fiscal 2018-19,” a source in the Directorate said.

A reality check shows that the Muga Mission does not have adequate number of manpower. Even as the Society is supposed to make its presence in all districts, this is far from becoming a reality as of now.

The sources, however, said that the Mission has taken up works like fencing of farms and making land encroachment free etc. They also claim that they will be able to increase muga production 10-fold in a decade as the Mission is supposed to get the required pace from this year.

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