Jorhat, Sept. 30: Assam sericulture minister Ranjit Dutta today asked officials of the department to change their work culture and go to the fields and farms for a better understanding of the farmers' problems.

He also proposed that the public-private partnership mode should be adopted to develop the industry.

Addressing the 17th foundation day of the Central Muga, Eri Research and Training Institute under the Central Silk Board at Lahdoigarh in the district, Dutta said in 15 years of Congress rule, the officials of the department had got used to a way of working and this would not be allowed under the BJP government.

He asked the officials to cooperate with employees of the institute during the awareness meets with farmers and other programmes.

"My mother was a sericulture farmer and after school we used to cycle to different places to gather leaves for eri worms to feed on. We used to bring back the leaves and then go out to play football. If I could give half an hour to sericulture everyday then why can't you all go to the fields?" Dutta asked.

He also told the farmers to change their habits. "Instead of hoping for doles given by the earlier government in the form of suta, kambal (thread and blanket) they should learn how to stand on their own feet and take the muga and eri products to the world. After the rhino, it is the silk of Assam, which is our identity."

Dutta added that he would arrange a meeting of the directors and officers of the handloom, textile and sericulture department and the institute for a feasible plan to develop the industry. He said most of the farms owned by the government were in a shabby state.

The first thing they would do was evict encroachers and erect boundary walls. These farms could be leased by individuals and organisations working to develop the silk industry on a private-public partnership mode.

The foundation day was observed for the first time in 17 years.

B.K. Singh, the director of the institute, highlighted its achievements and said there were many problems like prolonged load-shedding. He said they were being given electricity through gardens.

Moreover, the spraying of pesticides was killing the silk worms in large numbers in their experimental stations.

Singh said the target of silk production was increasing every year. This year's (2016-17) target being 32,000MT and in 2020-21 it would go upto 60,000MT. "This year, we have produced nearly 29,000MT, of which Assam accounts for 6,000 tonnes, being the third highest producer after Karnataka and Tamil Nadu," he said.

Singh said institute at Titabar would be revived, as they had received funds for fencing and building rearing houses and other facilities.

He called for awareness among tea growers so that their activities did not affect the sericulture farmers.