Arjun Munda with wife Meera at Kuchai where the chief minister inaugurated a silk training centre. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Kuchai (Seraikela-Kharsawan), April 4: Chief minister Arjun Munda?s brainchild became reality today.

Munda inaugurated a silk training centre at Aamda, a village about 10-km from Kuchai block. He was accompanied by wife Meera.

Kuchai block in Seraikela-Kharsawan district is a leading producer of cocoons, a raw material for silk production.

The training centre has been re-named Aakarshani, after a popular religious place at Kharsawan.

The government will spend about Rs 5.57 crore training artisans to produce sarees and lifestyle products under the ?Kuchai brand?.

The government collaborated with National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), which functions under the Union ministry of textiles, to provide training to artisans.

?There will be a four-year tie-up with NIFT, during which 5,280 artisans selected from villages across the state will be trained in reeling, spinning, weaving and computer-aided design on Kuchai silks. The training will be conducted in 176 batches,? said Munda.

It was Munda?s idea to open a training centre in Seraikela-Kharsawan. Kharsawan is the chief minister?s constituency.

Munda said Kuchai block is the largest producer of cocoons in the country. The block produces 130 metric tonnes each year. The training centre was opened to popularise Kuchai silk products.

The state industry department is the co-ordinating industry and will help the centre?s graduates get credit cards through which they can obtain bank loans at cheaper rates.

Secretary of state industry department S.K. Satpathy was also at the ceremony.

The production centre will open next week.Three NIFT faculty members will permanently work at the silk training centre. Funds have also been allocated for a cocoon production centre in Aamda.