Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 07:
In an unprecedented development that is sure to demoralize a large number of State farmers, the Union Ministry of Textiles has intimated to the State Government to suspend with immediate effect all programmes related with the Japanese funded Sericulture project.
The letter of the Ministry dated October 15,2004 sent to the State authorities recommended suspension of the Japanese Bank International Corporation assisted Manipur Sericulture Project with immediate effect till a final decision is taken on the further course to be adopted for its implementation, a highly placed source told The Sangai Express.
The letter advised all the concerned to keep in abeyance all the programmes related to the Sericulture Project till further order, the source said.
Some employees of the Dept/Project disclosed that batch wise training of the trainers of the project has been suspended with immediate effect.
They however refused to spell out explicitly as to whether the training of the 5th, 6th and 7th batch trainers in West Bengal has also been suspended in view of the directives from the Union Textiles Ministry.
The project which is estimated to cost over Rs 490 crores was launched in 1998 covering 17,000 hectares of land across the State.
The fate of around 5000 beneficiaries involved in the project will be at stake if the Ministry issues another order scrapping the project.
Confirming this, an official source said that the Ministry of Textile has asked the State Government to suspend all works related to the Sericulture Project.
The source said that the Centre may have taken this decision as there is nothing much to show that the project has made any progress though it kicked off in 1998.Moreover the Centre may also be apprehensive that funds for the project may have fallen into the hands of the underground outfits.
The source further said that the suspension could be a hint to the State Govt to get its act going and show tangible results soon.
Following an appeal from the State to revoke the suspension of the project a meeting was scheduled to be held on November 17 at Delhi.