First Silk Processing plant in Gujarat to boost “PATOLA SAREE” production
On January 3, 2020, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) inaugurated the first “Patola Saree” production unit in Gujarat. This will help to cut down the cost of silk yarn production and also will increase the sale of raw material for Patola sarees.
Highlights
The silk production plant has employed 90 local women of which 70 belong to Muslim community. The installation cost of the plant was Rs 75 lakh and the KVIC operating under Ministry of MSME has contributed Rs 60 lakhs. The plant has been built in a backward district of Gujarat (Surendranagar district). The aim of the plant is to make silk readily available to Patola saree manufacturers to boost its production.
Patola Saree
Patola is the trademark saree of Gujarat. They are highly expensive and were once worn only by royal aristocratic families. With the new plant, the cost is expected to come down.
The idea behind the installation of new plant is to buy cocoon from the states of Karnataka and West Bengal and process them in the plant. This will help reduce the cost of production to a great extent.
Among all silk varieties in India, Patola sarees are among the top 5 silk sarees.
History
The Patola silk was founded by the Salvi caste (Scheduled) in the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. They moved to Gujarat in 12th century in order to acquire patronage of Rajputs.
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Month: Current Affairs - January, 2020