India’s first silk museum to be established in Mysuru: Report
Mysuru: India will establish its first silk museum in Mysuru, renowned for its silk sarees, to highlight the rich history and craftsmanship of silk in the country, reported The New Indian Express on Thursday.
Central Silk Board’s (CSB) National Silkworm Seed Organisation (NSSO) Director Dr Manthira Moorthy said that the silk museum in Mysuru will display detailed exhibits on silk production, including how the thread is procured from the pupa stage to how its woven into a fabric.
“This will be the first-ever and unique museum. A dedicated team is being deployed to work on this. The total cost of the project will be known after tenders are finalised. The museum will be set up in CSB’s centre in Mysuru, which is spread across 120 acres,” TNIE quoted Moorthy as saying.
The project has already gained momentum, with CSB officials researching silk museums in China and Italy to deepen their understanding of international best practices and collections. The team is also compiling a collection of traditional and heritage silk items from silk-producing states and local farmers across India.
The project, promoted by the Ministry of Tourism, will reportedly begin groundwork in the upcoming financial year and complete it in two years.
Once finished, the museum will also offer educational insights into identifying authentic silk versus counterfeit varieties.
Karnataka, which contributes around 32% of India’s total silk production, is the leading state in the industry. The region is home to 11,526 sericulture villages, where more than 148,000 farmers and 6,700 reelers are engaged in the production of silk, added the report.
The roots of sericulture in the state can be traced back to the reign of Tipu Sultan, who promoted the industry. Major cocoon production areas include Chikkballapura, Kolar, Ramanagara, Mandya, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, and Bengaluru Rural.
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Illegal betting case: ED attaches ₹177 crore assets linked to Congress MLA K.C. Veerendra
Bengaluru: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said it has attached assets worth ₹177.3 crore belonging to Congress MLA K.C. Veerendra, also known as ‘Puppy’, and his associates in connection with an illegal online betting and gambling case, Deccan Herald reported.
According to the ED, the attached properties include immovable assets such as agricultural land and residential sites, along with other movable assets. The agency said these assets are believed to be proceeds of crime generated through illegal online betting and gambling activities.
The ED claimed that its investigation uncovered that Veerendra and his associates were the masterminds behind a nationwide illegal online betting network operating with the same modus operandi.
“The investigation has established that the accused generated substantial proceeds of crime by cheating the public through online betting and impersonation scams. In the scheme, unsuspecting players were induced to stake money on rigged illegal gaming websites, which functioned like online casinos. Their deposits, running into crores of rupees, were collected through payment gateways into designated payment aggregator accounts,” Deccan Herald quoted the agency as saying.
“The victims were initially shown fake winnings to build trust and were later blocked from withdrawing money. The investigation revealed the use of hundreds of mule accounts and multiple payment gateways for laundering the proceeds of crime,” the agency said.
Earlier, the ED carried out search and seizure operations at more than 60 locations across several states, during which large quantities of cash, gold bullion, gold and silver jewellery, vehicles, digital devices and incriminating documents were seized.
The ED also arrested Veerendra under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), and a prosecution complaint has been filed before the Special PMLA court. Based on the evidence gathered, the agency has provisionally attached properties held directly and indirectly by him, which are believed to be linked to money laundering.
“With this, the ED has attached assets worth more than ₹320 crore in the present case under the provisions of the PMLA, 2002. Further, during the course of the investigation, proceeds of crime exceeding ₹2,300 crore have been identified so far, which were generated through illegal online betting and gambling activities and subsequently laundered through multiple layers of transactions,” the agency said.
