MillenniumPost
Bengal

CM's support inspires districts to take up development schemes

Handing over a cheque worth Rs 15 lakh to Nadia district for the innovative idea of planting vetiver grass to stop soil erosion by the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the two-day state Panchayat Conference has given a great boost to the districts to take up new schemes and complete them on time.

This is for the first time when the districts, gram panchayat and blocks that had performed well were awarded. Banerjee has asked Subrata Mukherjee, minister for Panchayat and Rural Development department to hold such a conference every year.

Plantation of vetiver grass to stop soil erosion named Sabujayan project by Mamata Banerjee in an eye opener and has received global appreciation.

It was uniquely designed by the nodal officer Babulal Mahato and was named by Banerjee at a programme on November 23, 2015. Sumit Gupta, District Magistrate, Bani Kumar Roy, Sabhadhipati and Babulal Mahato, Nodal Officer, Mahatma Gandhi NREGA, Nadia District received the award money on behalf of the district.

Two more districts and ten blocks have been awarded by the Chief Minister in different categories. Mamata Banerjee had said: "More innovative schemes should be implemented in the state and allotting fund for convergence through different state departments for overall development of the state through Mahatma Gandhi NREGA".

Over 15,000 gathered to attend the conference including District Magistrates and Sabhadhipatis of the districts.

Nodal Officer, Babulal Mahato said: "Nursery raising, restoration work in river embankments and handicrafts making are the main components of Sabujayan for ultimate river embankment protection and livelihood generation for poor Self Help Group members of the district."
Additional District Magistrate, Sekhar Sen said:

"We have targeted to raise sufficient vetiver slips in our nurseries and complete restoration work from our nurseries. 77 such nurseries have been raised in the district and over 136 km river embankments have been planted so far with vetiver".

District Magistrate, Sumit Gupta said: "We were able to stabilise river embankments through this new eco-friendly green technology with only Rs 4 lakh per km in comparison with Rs 60 to 100 lakh through heavy engineering methods.

We are targeting to complete over 500 km restoration work by March, 2017." World Technical Director of Vetiver Organisation, Paul Truong visited Sabujayan sites in Nadia and USA Professors, Dibyendu Sarkar and Rupali Dutta also visited project sites and appreciated the works done in Nadia. Commissioner, Mahatma Gandhi NREGA, Bengal said:

"State Government allowed vetiver related works under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA scheme and Nadia District has done excellent work on vetiver utilisation and shown low cost technology to solve our perennial problems in river embankments. It will put a new dimension for overall development of the state".

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