Tensions are rising in Karnataka politics over the fate of the prestigious Mysore Silk industry. Opposition Leader R. Ashok has charged the ruling government with attempting to encroach on KSIC’s T. Narasipura unit land, originally set aside for vital expansion. The controversial plan? Convert it into a taluk stadium, potentially dooming the expansion and endangering the brand’s legacy.
Ashok’s allegations stem from a comprehensive report by KSIC’s managing director, which details the necessity of the five-acre land for key upgrades: boosting production and installing an ETP. Despite expert warnings in the internal technical assessment, the government presses ahead, ignoring operational imperatives.
This profitable PSU, brimming with market demand, faces inexplicable sabotage, Ashok fumed. What benefits accrue to private interests, he probed. The unit’s daily water needs for reeling—half a million liters—could be hamstrung by construction interference with pipelines, leading to output halts.
The human cost is staggering: livelihoods of hundreds of laborers and thousands of sericulture farmers hang in the balance. Compliance with factory rules requires 30% green cover; tampering invites regulatory wrath and closures. Hailing Mysore Silk as a GI-tagged heirloom from royal times, renowned globally for purity, Ashok lambasted the shortsighted policy.
He implored the government to prioritize strengthening and innovating KSIC over destructive diversions. The matter has been flagged to national leaders including PMO, Giriraj Singh, and Piyush Goyal for urgent action to protect this economic pillar.