Imphal, November 24 2009: Even though the fruit of the first phase of the Japanese Government funded Manipur Sericulture Project has started bearing fruits, implementation of the second phase has been delayed as the representatives of Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) who are supposed to come here for evaluation of the first phase could not do so due the law and order situation in the State.

According to a reliable source, the State Sericulture Department has already forwarded the project completion report of the first phase of the Manipur Sericulture Project to the Ministry of Textiles, JICA, Department of Economics Affairs and Central Silk Board, but the security clearance of the JICA team which is to come here for evaluation is still awaited.

Started in 1998, a sum of Rs 134.52 crores have been spend till the completion of the first phase last year.

Accordingly, the State Sericulture Department has already written letter to JICA twice for its team for evaluation of the first phase.

But the proposed visit is yet to be materialised in view of the deteriorating law and order situation in the State.

For the third time, the Department has recently written another letter with the assurance that the State Government would arrange the necessary security during the visit of JICA team to evaluate the activities of the first phase so that the second phase could be taken up.

So far no response have been received.

For the implementation of the second phase, the State Government has also earmarked Rs 62 crores in its budget.

But the fund could not be utilised as the evaluation of the first phase is still pending.

By the end of 2008-09 of the first phase of the project, which is being taken up for development of Sericulture industry with the main objective of poverty alleviation and empowerment of women, 40 tonne of raw silks worth Rs 5 crores have been produced and about 37,000 families have been indirectly provide job through sericulture activities.

Moreover, during the project period of phase-I, a total of 1700 hectare of land was brought under mulberry plantation in nine districts of the State by involving 5000 beneficiaries under 1000 Field Operating Units (FOUs), the source informed, adding that a project management complex having facilities for cocoon market, multi-end reeling unit, silk testing and conditioning unit, power loom unit, cold storage unit, etc has also been set up at Sangaipat.

The State Government has also requested the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India to find a date for inauguration of the Project Complex, the source further informed and disclosed that under the project, 60 Chawki Rearing Centres and 15 Technical Service Centres have been constructed in different districts.

Meanwhile, at the instruction of the Ministry of Textiles, slight modification in the draft project report of the second phase would be made and submitted to the State Advisory Board for finalisation.

In addition, one Centrally sponsored scheme with the assistance of Central Silk Board known as Catalytic Development Programme is also being taken up with a ratio of 80:10: 10 (Centre: State: Beneficiary) basis, the source added.

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