Horticulture Corp to bring plethora of flowers in mobile vans for Kolkatans on V-Day

Kolkata: In a unique initiative, the state Food Processing and Horticulture Development Corporation has joined hands with Globe Nursery – the oldest nursery in the state, for distribution and sale of a variety of roses and other flowers like lilium, carnation and orchid on the occasion of Valentine's Day.

The flowers will be sold in mobile vans in as many as 7 locations in the city, at a price that will be much lower than the market standard.

"Our main aim is to ensure that farmers associated with the cultivation of rose get adequate returns for their hard work. Wednesday is Valentine's Day and the demand for flowers - particularly roses - will be immense on that day. We want to ensure that farmers have enough reasons to smile. So we have chosen the day for this initiative," a senior official of the state Horticulture department said.

The locations that have been chosen for the distribution and sale of the flowers are Salt Lake City Centre I and II, Eco Park, Nandan - Rabindra Sadan area, Victoria Memorial, College Street and Millennium Park. The vans will be active from 11 am to 8 pm.

It may be mentioned that the local variety of rose grows in abundance in the two districts of East Midnapore and North 24-Parganas. "The stuff that will be available in these mobile outlets will be a combination of the local variety as well as Dutch Rose, which is imported mainly from Bengaluru and Ooty. The flowers will also be sold in flower pots, hanging baskets and in other decorative formats," the official added.

Two of the mobile vans that will be stationed in Salt Lake and New Town, will be flagged off by state Food Processing Industries and Horticulture minister Abdur Rezzak Molla from Mayukh Bhavan, Salt Lake on Wednesday morning. The other vans will be placed elsewhere and will be active till 8 pm in the night.

It has been learnt that the department has already taken the nod of Kolkata Police, as all the locations in the city where the mobile vans will be placed, are busy locations.