Patna: In a major decision, chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said the state government will consider a "one-time settlement" of around Rs 200 crore in electricity dues to weavers of Champanagar in Bhagalpur.
He directed energy department officials to set up a camp from November 15 and provide new power connections to weavers to solve the issue of electricity bill payment and problems arising out of dues. Champanagar weavers were unable to pay their bills as they came with hefty arrears that developed in the last couple of decades.
Nitish's directions came at a closed-door Udyami Panchayat (entrepreneurs' panchayat) with a focus on handloom and silk industry, which he chaired at his secretariat. This was the first such event especially on handloom and silk.
Industries minister Jai Kumar Singh, energy minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav, agriculture minister Prem Kumar, chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and industries department principal secretary S Siddharth, Bihar State Handloom Cooperatives Union (BISHCOTEX) chairman Naquib Ahmad, and over two dozen weavers, dyers and people engaged in sericulture were attended the programme.
Nitish discussed various aspects of handloom and silk industry with those engaged in it and took their suggestions. He pointed out that there was huge employment potential in these two sectors and there was a need to provide impetus to implement existing policies for their growth.
The implementation of the chief minister's instructions will be reviewed by the chief secretary every two months.
"The chief minister also gave directions to ensure that bedsheets, curtains, table cloth and other toiletries for government institutions are procured from BISHCOTEX. He directed that the procurement system should be accordingly eased. The move will ensure better livelihood for weavers in the state," Siddharth said.
Siddharth said the chief minister gave the green signal for establishing a woolen blanket processing centre at Dehri-on-Sone, common facility centre, dye house and post production processing centre at Manpur in Gaya district and ensure that industrial promotion policy subsidies are applicable to powerlooms too.
Nitish also asked the officials to involve Jeevika self-help groups of women into mulberry and tussar silk production. So far 100 such groups for mulberry have been constituted. On the problems faced by BISHCOTEX, Naquib said over Rs 1 crore payment was due to weavers for supply of satrangi bed sheets. Naquib said Nitish visited a cotton and silk handloom products' stall put up by BISHCOTEX and appreciated a fabric made of banana stem threads and katia silk threads.
