Kolkata/Balurghat: In an effort to make the rural populace self-sufficient in nutritional food crop cultivation, the Bengal government has taken a step to set up a total of 30,000 nutritional gardens in convergence with the MGNREGA scheme in 2021-22 fiscal. The move is taken up giving priority to extend more support to people from financially backward sections of the society.
The state Panchayats and Rural Development department has already set up nearly 12,000 such gardens across the state in the past two years. Besides the endeavour of the Comprehensive Area Development Corporation under the Panchayats and Rural Development department's effort to increase the number to 30,000 by the end of March 2022, different district authorities are also helping people in villages to set up nutritional gardens in their courtyards.
Besides providing saplings guava, mango, jackfruit, banana and Moringa are being provided to the beneficiaries. "Our main aim is to make them self dependent in growing crops rich in nutrition. They basically grow the same for their consumption and can also co for sale if excess quantity is cultivated," said a senior officer of the state Panchayats and Rural Development department.
He said the target of the state government is to ensure at least one nutritional garden in every gram sansads under gram Panchayats.
Taking a step ahead, the South Dinajpur district authorities on Monday launched the project for all eight blocks with a priority given to economically backward tribal families. As many as 1795 tribal families along with 781 non-tribal families have been benefited with the move taken by the district administration.
On Monday, the project has been launched at Trikul Sansad of Jalghar Gram Panchayat in Balurghat, Manico Sansad at Jamalpur Gram Panchayat in Hili, Safanagar Gram Panchayat in Kumarganj, Tapan-Chandipur Gram Panchayat in Tapan, Basuria Gram Panchayat in Gangarampur, Akcha Gram Panchayat in Kushmandi, Brajaballavpur Gram Panchayat in Banshihhari and Sirshi Gram Panchayat in Harirampur.
A total number of 59,137 saplings will be distributed to the beneficiaries , including 19,300 amrapali-mango, 11,530 papaya, 16,000 guava and 12,307 banana tissue culture.
Around Rs 9,290 is the initial expense for establishment of each nutrition garden. The beneficiaries also get Rs 5325, as wage at the rate of Rs 213 per day of MGNREGA for 25 days, in addition to other financial support.
District Magistrate of South Dinajpur Ayesha Rani A said: "We aim to ensure that people become self dependent in cultivating nutritional crops. They also get financial benefits through convergence with MGNREGS."
Additional District Magistrate Vivek Kumar said: "We are all aware of the fact that the government has taken many initiatives for providing balanced nutritious food to the financially under-developed section of the society."