A comprehensive plan to assist traditional silk weavers under the Centre's mega handloom cluster project could well restore the lost glory of Bhagalpur's silk industry.

Under the mega handloom cluster project, 10 common facility centres along with design studio and dyeing units are to come up for Rs 17 crore. Seven such common facility centres are planned at Bhagalpur and three at Banka where weavers would avail required facilities.

According to Mohammad Javed Ansari, president of the Bhagalpur Kshtriya Hastakargha Boonkar Sahayog Sangh, a training programme for weavers has started in the first phase before the common facility centre starts. "Also, camps have come up where weavers have started filling up forms for Mahatma Gandhi Bima Yojana, Mudra loan and other government schemes so that they don't face monetary problems," he said.

At the common facility centres, weavers would get raw material at subsidised rates and assistance for colouring, weaving and designing cloth. In the first phase, the centres are targeting to pass on benefits to 4,600 weavers and later 15,000 weavers would become direct beneficiaries.

Apart from the common facility centres, a design studio would be established in the premises of Bhagalpur Kshtriya Hastakargha Boonkar Sahayog Sangh at Mohoddinpur at Bhagalpur.

Different types of latest designs by noted designers from different parts of the country would be available and experts will guide weavers. The studio apart, a dying unit would also be established there. Another one would be established at Katoria village under Amarpur block in Banka district where weavers can avail facilities to dye weaving materials using modern technology.

The traditional silk weavers in the remote villages are happy. "The traditional silk industry collapsed here long ago, but if this proposed project starts properly, Bhagalpuri silk could revive again," said Mohammad Zulfikar, a weaver at Dariyapur village in Bhagalpur.