Forest dept places Rs 20 lakh order for bags of Vetiver

Kolkata: The state Forest department has placed orders worth Rs 20 lakh to supply bags made of Vetiver grass to the Self Help Groups under Sabujayan project.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has introduced the project which she later named as Sabujayan to plant Vetiver grass to prevent soil erosion in Nadia district. The grass is being planted along the embankments of six rivers covering a distance of over 700 km. Taking cue from the success of Nadia district, Vetiver is being planted in East Midnapore to prevent soil erosion. The project has three components, namely, plantation of Vetiver grass, setting up of nurseries to produce the grass in Bengal and making various handicraft products.

Sekhar Sen, Additional District Magistrate said: "We multiplied over 100 times from 12 lakh slips purchased from Tamil Nadu and now, we are getting slips free of costs from our nurseries. We are also supplying slips to other districts at nominal prices as compared to purchase from other agencies." Sources said, Nadia district purchased slips at the rate of Rs 2.50 but now, it is able to multiply the slips in huge numbers and the price has gone down to 5 paise for Nadia and 20 paisa for other districts and the total price is being paid to the SHG members attached with the nurseries.

It may also be mentioned that Nadia district received Chief Minister's Excellence Award and National Award of Excellence in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme in 2017.

Seven SHG members have been trained in the upper parts of Puducherry to make the handicrafts in February 2017. The district administration under MGNREGA scheme provided support for training and establishment of handicrafts workshops for them.

Ananya Swanirbhar Dal and Asha Swanirbhar Dal of Nakashipara have able to get work order of Rs 20 lakh for supplying handicraft bags to the Forest department under the Sabujshree scheme. The saplings given to the mothers of the new born will be kept in the bags made of Vetiver. Tapashi Das, group leader of Ananya SHG said: "We are happy to be associated with the Sabujayan project and are feeling proud that we are able to make handicrafts by using Vetiver. We have taken training for handicrafts by using Vetiver in Puducherry under guidance of E V Ananthan and it has earned us a dividend."