HT Correspondent
PASIGHAT, July 6: East Siang Deputy Commissioner Sonalika Jiwani, IAS, on Sunday visited key rural development initiatives in Ruksin Sub-Division, where she interacted with weavers and sericulture farmers to assess ground-level progress and encourage sustainable, market-oriented growth in the handloom and sericulture sectors.
The visit was part of an ongoing effort to promote livelihood generation and self-reliance among rural communities in the district.
Related Posts:
According to an official statement, the Deputy Commissioner first visited the M.G. Community Skill Development and Training Centre at Oyan village, where she held an interactive session with local weavers formed under the Small Cluster Development Programme.
She commended the quality of handloom designs and traditional motifs produced by the weavers and acknowledged the role of traditional textile craft in preserving indigenous culture while creating avenues for income generation.
Addressing the weavers, DC Jiwani emphasised the importance of market-driven product diversification, identifying new markets, and building strong branding strategies to increase the value and reach of their products.
She also called for more robust linkages with online platforms to enable wider access to consumers. Highlighting the role of collective strength, she encouraged the formation of additional cooperative societies to support both textile weavers and sericulture farmers in the region.
Following her visit to Oyan, the Deputy Commissioner inspected the Government Sericulture Farm at Sille, also under Ruksin Sub-Division, where she interacted with members of the Siang Sericulture Cooperative Society.
The trainees, currently undergoing capacity-building sessions on both pre-cocoon and post-cocoon processes, shared their experiences and challenges with the DC.
DC Jiwani underscored the potential of sericulture as a high-value rural livelihood and reaffirmed the administration’s support for skill development and infrastructure enhancement in the sector.
She encouraged members of the cooperative to focus on quality production and explore direct-to-market approaches to improve profitability.
The Deputy Commissioner was accompanied by a team of senior officials including Ruksin ADC Kiron Ningo, EAC Yamo Tamut, ZPM Bimol Lego, Circle Officer of Oyan Dubom Apang, ADI Onima Gammeng, ADTH Libang Perme, and AD Sericulture Talom Tadeng. Chief Manager of SBI, Mridul Hazarika, and local Gaon Burahs were also present during the visits.
The interactions were well-received by the weavers and farmers, who expressed appreciation for the administration’s interest and guidance. Many shared that the visit and suggestions by the DC had boosted their motivation to explore broader opportunities and adopt innovative practices.
The district administration reiterated its commitment to supporting rural skill development, women’s empowerment, and the promotion of indigenous industries through policy support and infrastructure facilitation.
