NewsID: 151 Author Mohammad Azhar ,PRO ,JKERA ,Kashmir Dated 05 August 2021
Subject Lieutenant Governor Inaugurates World Bank funded Rs 23.50 Cr Modernized & Upgraded Composite Market Centre for Silk at Rajbagh
Shri Manoj Sinha , Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor, of Jammu and Kashmir inaugurated the Composite Market Centre for Silk
Shri Manoj Sinha , Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor, of Jammu and Kashmir today inaugurated the Composite Market Centre for Silk constructed under the World Bank funded Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery Project here today.
With an aim to upgrade and modernise the Rajbagh Silk Factory and to give a big push to the revival of the Silk Industry in J&K , regenerate employment opportunities for the youth in the traditional silk industry which once used to be the mainstay occupation of large number of people which include the farmers (cocoon rearers) as well as the artisans and other businesses associated with the silk industry the ambitious sub-project was included under the component of Strengthening & Restoration of the Livelhoods of the World Bank funded Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery Project (JTFRP).
The Govt. Silk Factory, Rajbagh had suffered the immense damage during the 2014 floods and both infrastructure and the equipment’s installed at the factory had been severely hit thus badly impacting the production of silk at the factory. With this in view a comprehensive rehabilitation of the infrastructure and modernisation of the factory was conceived under the World Bank project to provide the state of art facilities for all the stakeholders associated with the silk under one roof in the shape of the “Composite Market Centre for Silk”
Completed at a cost of Rs 14.50 crores the building has been constructed using the traditional architectural elements of Dajji Diwari pattern, use of lime mortar in construction , Dewri stone, Khatamband ceilings , papier machie wall panels etc. to retain the heritage value of the
building.
A state of art composite market centre has market place for the cocoon rearers in the ground floor along with the elegantly designed conference hall , administrative hall which have all been embellished with the traditional papier machie panels on walls and exquisite khatamband on the roof.
As part of the comprehensive mechanisation plan of the factory the latest hi-tech textile weaving equipment’s which include latest (2 for 1 twisters) and other machinery worth Rs 7.5 Crore have been procured and installed in the factory. With the installation of latest machinery in the Silk factory the production of the silk fabric is expected to increase from existing 40,000 -50,000 meters per annum to 1.5 lac meters per annum. Consultancy was also hired at a cost of Rs 1.50 crores for purpose of designing and architecture inputs .The latest Hi-tech twisters are based on the programmed logic control technology that can be programmed to produce the fabric of the finest quality. The infrastructural upgradation and mechanisation plan of the Rajbagh Silk Factory under the PMDP (Prime Ministers Development Package ) is expected to give a major boost to the silk industry in J&K and help in creation of the additional employment opportunities for the local youth in the silk sector .
Later Hon'ble Lieutenant Governor J&K also interacted with the representatives of the (4) Artisan clusters of Willow wicker (Ganderbal) ,Papier machie (Zadibal) ,Crewel (Noorbagh) and Wool (Bandipore) which had set up stalls during the function. The artisan clusters have been established under the World Bank funded Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery Project for the skill enhancement of the artisans and training them in the management of the artisan owned clusters and developing market linkages for their products.
Presentation was also made by the experts of the consultancy engaged by JTFRP for the adaptive reuse of the Rajbagh Silk Factory and briefed the Hon'ble Lieutenant Governor about the steps proposed for the purpose like retrofitting of the old factory , using the old campus for dying, yarn certification and other beautification measures and linking the campus with the tourist circuit.
Shri, Baseer Ahmad Khan, Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta (IAS) Chief Secretary, Shri Ranjan P Thakur , Principal Secretary to Govt. Industries & Commerce Dept, , Shri Pandurang Pole, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir ,Shri Abid Rasheed Shah, Chief Executive Officer, JKERA/JTFRP , Shri Mohammad Ajaz Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar and others senior officers were also present on the occasion.
Hina Shafi Bhat, V.C ,KVIB and other senior officers of the concerned departments were also present on the occasion.
Economic Reconstruction Agency 