Union Minster for Textiles, Smriti Irani Sunday presented national awards to three silkworm rearers and one reeler of the State for their outstanding performance in pre and post cocoon sectors.She presented the awards at a function held here today.Minster for External Affairs, Sushma Sawraj was also present on the occasion.The awardees include Raj Mohammad Chichi of Uri, Baramulla, Rashida Bano of Brariangan Anantnag both belonging to Scheduled Cast category and Rattan Lal of Thanadapani, Rajouri while as Maajid Hayat Bawan of Wanbal, Srinager has been awarded as a young entrepreneur under reeling sector.The three award winning silkworm rears have been honored under the highest productivity category despite belonging to remote areas of the country.Braving the hardships and challenges they have drastically increased their cocoon production during recent years and have created motivation among their fellow villagers for silkworm rearing.Likewise the role of Majid Hayat Bawan has been remarkable in promoting the post cocoon activities and increasing the silk yarn produce through Automatic Reeling Machines (ARM), which bagged him national award.
Simriti Irani while complementing the awardees said that the private players have immensely contributed for increasing the cocoon production that has led in up scaling silk production and decreasing its imports.The awardees expressed their gratitude to Sericulture Development Department for extending facilities and incentives for enhancing their capabilities for cocoon and silk yarn production.Meanwhile, Director Sericulture, Gulzar Ahmad Shabnum who also attended the award ceremony has extended greetings to awardees and hoped that they prove inspirational for promoting sericulture in the State. He said that the awardees have brought laurels to the State especially to Sericulture Department and added that they shall be felicitated separately by the Department at Srinagar.He further said that Sericulture Department is contemplating to institute state awards for the best performers under sericulture sector. This, he said, would help to take silkworm rearing and reeling to new heights. He expected that the functionaries of the department would make tireless and energetic efforts to make sericulture sector of the state second to none at national level.