LJP Chief Chirag Urges PM To Include Bhagalpur In PM MITRA Scheme
LJP (RV) chief and Union Minister Chirag Paswan has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the government to set up a mega textile park in Bhagalpur, Bihar, under the PM MITRA Yojana. Known as the ‘silk city’ and home to a large population of Muslim weavers, Bhagalpur is famed for its historic silk industry and rich textile heritage.
In his letter, Chirag emphasized that including Bhagalpur in the PM MITRA initiative would bridge the region’s ancient textile tradition with modern industrial growth, giving a fresh impetus to the local economy. “Bhagalpur represents India’s ancient and rich tradition of textile industry. Bhagalpuri Silk, known as the ‘Queen of Fabrics,’ enjoys global demand, especially in Japan, Europe, and West Asia. Over 50,000 weaver families are directly or indirectly linked to the silk sector here,” he noted.
He added that establishing a mega textile park would create significant employment, boost entrepreneurship, promote exports, and empower the local community.
Currently, seven Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) parks are planned across India, in Virudhunagar (Tamil Nadu), Navsari (Gujarat), Kalaburagi (Karnataka), Dhar (Madhya Pradesh), Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), Warangal (Telangana), and Amravati (Maharashtra).
Bihar has yet to secure a PM MITRA park, drawing political criticism. Union Textiles Minister and BJP MP from Begusarai, Giriraj Singh, has responded by saying that only states meeting the criteria were allocated parks, expressing frustration at related media questions.
Meanwhile, RJD MP Sanjay Yadav stated that a proposal for a mega textile park at Chanpatia in West Champaran, covering 1,700 acres, was submitted during the previous coalition government when his party headed the industry department. Despite Bihar meeting the necessary criteria, the Centre has not approved any such project for the state so far.
The demand for a PM MITRA park in Bhagalpur highlights ongoing political and regional aspirations to leverage Bihar’s textile heritage for economic development.
