MillenniumPost
Bengal

'Matir Sristi' creates lakhs of job opportunities; to utilise 50K acres of fallow land

Matir Sristi creates lakhs of job opportunities; to utilise 50K acres of fallow land
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Bankura: The unique Matir Sristi project of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for Jangalmahal districts is bringing a sea change in the life of the rural populace in Bankura with generation of lakhs of job opportunities by utilising fallow land.

The project has been introduced for commercial utilisation of 50,000 acres of fallow land in Bankura, Purulia, Birbhum, Jhargram , West Burdwan and West Midnapore.

Most interesting part of the project in the district is that it has provided new momentum to the agro-industry in convergence with MGNREGS, animal resourse development and other departments. With immense potential in agro-dairy industry in which 40,000 farmers are involved in Bankura and 16,000 such farmers are directly involved in district dairy cooperative Kamul. Around 2,985 acres of falow land have been identified in Bankura for the same.

Napier grass plantation and vermicompost pit is being ensured across the 2,985 acres of land to improve the quality of feed for the high breed milch animals. It will ensure double benefits of dairy based farmers. First of all their income will increase three times. Secondly it will help in improving food quality for milch animals.

Matir Sristi project initiated with eight blocks in Bankura. Later, it has been implemented in all the blocks of the district. Through the scheme 3,850 chicks, 2,850 ducklings, 180 goats, 15,950 fishes and 10 pigs have been distributed at 55 Matir Sristi sites in the district that rejuvenating the rural economy.

So far 1715.63 acres of land have been brought under the scheme in the district. The project that is being done through convergence of MGNREGS to create job opportunities by utilising fallow land has already covered more than 6,500 acres of land in the six Jangalmahal districts.

Activities including plantation is being carried out in 912 acres of fallow land, animal husbandry on 221 acres, intercropping on 312 acres, fisheries on 104 acres, agri irrigation on 92 acres and sericulture on 67 acres. The produce on plots under Matir Sristi prakalpa is sold through Matir Sristi stalls, Sufal Bangla stalls and bike borne entrepreneurs, a senior official said.

The sericulture sector too witnessed a massive development with the cocoon processing centre set up at Ranibandh.

Bankura district has also set up a landmark in creating mandays under MGNREGS. At least 1.80 crore mandays have been created in the district in the current fiscal so far. In the next few remaining months the figure will touch to around 2.30 crore. This comes when 1.38 crore mandays were created in 2019-20 financial year. In the last fiscal 3 lakh families have got under the scheme. In this financial year it has increased to 4 lakh families till date, according to a district official.

At the same time tourism sector has been given utmost importance considering it as a crucial means of generation of job opportunities in the district.

District Magistrate of Bankura S Arun Prasad said: "Our endeavour is to create maximum job opportunities for people by implementing the development projects.

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