Natural food products: State mulls to open 14 stores
KOLKATA: In a significant stride to ensure that the people of South Bengal including Kolkata get the opportunity to buy 100 per cent natural products (daily essentials), the state Panchayats and Rural Development (P&RD) department has planned to open 14 outlets titled 'Nature Bazar' by this financial year.
One such store, which is the first exclusive outlet of West Bengal Comprehensive Area Development Corporation (WBCADC )— an autonomous organisation under the P & RD department— has opened its doors to people from Wednesday at CA 204 in Salt Lake.
"People are always caught in apprehension about whether the products that they are buying for their daily needs are adulterated or not. But, in these stores consumers will get 100 per cent natural products, which have been cultivated and produced by the women of our Self Help Groups (SHGs)," P & RD minister Subrata Mukherjee said.
Out of the 14 stores, 2 will be located in Kolkata— South and North. Some of these stores will be run directly by WBCADC while the others will be run through a franchise.
"The USP of CADC products is its natural quality and reasonable price," said Soumyajit Das, Administrative Secretary of CADC. The stores will sell varieties of rice including Tulaipanji, Super Fine Baskathi, Dheki Chatta Rice, Kala Nunia, Gobindobhog, among others. The stores will also offer mustard oil, refined oil, all types of pulses, a variety of spices, jam, pickle and other grocery items at a price which is at least 15 per cent less than the standard market price.
Animal Husbandry items like chicken, kadaknath chicken, black buck goat meat, duck eggs, poultry and quail eggs will also be available. Cooked food, in the form of snacks, is also available at the store.
Two franchise run Nature Bazaar stores are already functional at Diamond Harbour Road in Behala and Downtown Mall in New Town. The monthly sale from these stores is Rs 8-10lakh. People can also buy CADC products from its office at Mrittika in Salt Lake.
