Rs 138 crore worth Japan Project in jaw of death
Cocoon rearing houses become cowsheds
Source: Hueiyen News Service / N Sanajaoba Meetei

Imphal, July 24 2011: The Japan Project worth Rs 138 core which was successfully implemented in the state under assistance from Japan from 2005 to March 2008 has fallen in the jaw of death with the negligence and inability of farmers who were given responsible for the successful running of the project.

During a visit to some Field Operating Units (FOU), Hueiyen Lanpao discovered that the cocoon rearing houses which were built to rear the cocoons have been unitlised as cowshed and poultry farms instead of raring cocoons.

Some even make the buildings their houses.

Longjam Kullabi, a farmer told Hueiyen Lanpao that the beneficiaries have been provided with five cocoon rearing houses, mulberry plants and other required items in raring the cocoons.

However, most of the beneficiaries are neglecting their job, manhandling all the equipments given to them and utilizing the cocoon raring houses for other purposes.

According to an official of Sericulture Department, the project was implemented after a deal with the department and the Japan International Co-operation Agency formerly known as Oversea and Economic Co-operation Fund which was made on December 12, 1997.When the project was proposed to start implement in April, 2003, the Ministry of Textile refused to give clearance which stalled the project in that state.

However the project was implemented in 2005 and was completed successfully in 2008 .

A total of 5000 beneficiaries have successfully planted mulberry saplings in 1700 hectares of land under the project.

Each of the 1000 Field Operating Units (FOU) which consists of five beneficiaries each were also provided with five Cocoon rearing houses.

The cocoon rearing houses were made up of brick and prefect (a fibre use in building houses).

Moreover 15 Technical Service Centre and 60 Seri Bears were also set up under the project.

Imphal East alone has 502 FOU which makes the district largest production house while Tamenglong with only four FOU is the lowest.

Even though documents related to the completion of the project have arrived, construction of many cocoon rearing is still pending.

Since every FOU has more than two hectares of land area, each FOU should have to produce 80 kg of cocoons in a season.

A FOU can cultivate cocoon fourth times a year which estimated the total production capacity of a FOU to around 320 kg of cocoons in a year.

Unfortunately the production is very low as compared to the estimate of the department since the beneficiary farmers are neglecting their efforts and utilizing the cocoon rearing houses for other purposes.

Even though the first phase has completed, future assistance of the project is still uncertain as officials of Japan International Cooperation Agency are not coming here to review the progress of the first phase.

However, centre has includes a budget of Rs 62.11 crore for the continuation of the project.

State government has already sanctioned an amount of Rs 10 crore for the current fiscal year for the purpose.

The project deal was made to continue till 2030.Since the first phase was especially meant for building cocoon rearing houses and planting mulberry saplings, the second phase may deal in producing threads from the cocoon.

If the beneficiary farmers do their works with sincerity and dedication, the future of the project may go a long way with better cooperation with Japan.

However the current progress and sincerity of the beneficiaries will not do anything to continue the project.

If a FOU has failed to initiate proper function in its area, any other beneficiary can occupy the land area and the cocoon rearing house to successfully implement the project, the official said.

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