BJP will take huge movement to save Mysore silk, says R Ashoka

He said, 'Mysore Silk has the geographical indication (GI) tag. It is a brand. It is the pride of Karnataka.'

Mysuru: Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka State Legislative Assembly R Ashoka visited Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) units of Channapatna and Mysuru and rushed to the mother unit of KSIC at T Narsipur of Mysuru district, to extend support to 'Save Mysore Silk' protest by 1,092 employees of all three units.

"If the government doesn't not stop using the 5 acre land of KSIC raw silk yarn reeling unit of T Narsipur for the sports stadium, we will take a huge movement and debate on the issue in the next assembly session also," he said.

Speaking to media people, in Mysuru, on Friday, Ashoka said, "Mysore Silk has the geographical indication (GI) tag. It is a brand. It is the pride of Karnataka. In 1912, impressed by the silk used by the queen of England, Maharaja Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar imported equipment from Switzerland to establish the KSIC units, to produce Mysore Silk."

"Officials of the Sericulture department have done foreign trips, to study about the expansion and development of KSIC. Although there is a high demand for Mysore Silk sarees, and KSIC is getting good profits, they are taking over the land to build a stadium, instead of developing and expanding the KSIC. The profit of the KSIC is being deposited in BESCOM, instead of developing the KSIC."

"Owing to a lobby of local Congress leader of his Varuna constituency, for whom the contract of the stadium, worth Rs 6 crore, has been given, and for 60% commission, they are using the KSIC land. If the production of KSIC stops, a demand for a Congress leader's silk mill will increase. They can import silk from China and get commission there also," Ashoka alleged.

He said, "As a sports person, I support the construction of stadiums. There should be a minimum 400 meter track in a playground. So, let them build a bigger stadium on a larger plot. If they claim that they are not getting government land for the stadium, how are they getting land to build Congress offices across Karnataka? The Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports can use its budget to purchase a bigger plot from private people."

Ashoka said, "The quality of water is appropriate for the KSIC silk filature and it gives shine to the silk yarn. How safe is it to have a stadium next to boilers of filature? If the stadium comes up, the KSIC mother unit gets closed. If it is closed, silk weaving units in Mysuru and Channapatna will be closed. That will end the era of Mysore Silk sarees. We will fight until the issue reaches a logical end and the State government withdraws the decision to take over the KSIC land."