Punjab Reopens Sole Silk Seed Grainage Center in Dalhousie After 15 Years

The sole sericulture silk seed grainage center in Punjab, located in Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh, has reopened after being shuttered for the previous fifteen years thanks to the combined efforts of the Punjab government led by Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann.

Today, Minister of Horticulture S. Chetan Singh Jouramajra paid a visit to the government sericulture silk seed grainage center, inspected the location, and gave the officials the go-ahead to begin operations.

"Prime Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann has decided to reopen this center," declared the Minister of Horticulture, adding that "previous dispensations had neglected this valuable asset of the state of Punjab." The center has received an initial installment of Rs. 14 lakh approved, which will allow for the preparation of silk seed grains beginning in September and being supplied to farmers at reasonable prices.

According to S. Jouramajra, Dalhousie's atmosphere is ideal for growing silk seeds, and the reopening of this facility will directly help the roughly 1500 farmers in Punjab's Kandi region. He went on to say that this center will help farmers in the districts of Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, and Ropar.

"With the start of operations of sate's own silk seed grainage center, silk seed production will be increased, which will further boost silk production in the state," stated the Cabinet Minister. "Previously, the department provided silk seeds to silkworm rearers from Central Silk Board centers," the Minister noted. However, with the reopening of this silk seed center in Dalhousie, the Punjab government will be able to produce its own silk seeds, which will further enable to provide the silk seeds to silkworm rearers at reduced transportation costs.

S. Chetan Singh Jouramajra further emphasized the importance of the Horticulture Department's Sericulture Wing, which not only supports the state's silk industry but also gives jobs to impoverished silkworm rearers in the border regions. In order to optimize silk output in the state and raise the social and economic standing of low-income farmers, the Cabinet Minister stated that he has instructed the Director of Horticulture to give silkworm rearers the necessary financial and technical help under various schemes.

The Cabinet Minister was accompanied on this tour by Sukhveer Singh Sericulture Promotion Officer, Avtar Singh Manager, Jatinder Kumar Horticulture Development Officer, Hardeep Singh Deputy Director of Horticulture, and other authorities.