Kolkata: The Bankura District Police has given a unique dimension to its community policing initiative to help in mitigating the socio economical and survival challenge of the youth engaged in agricultural activities during COVID-19 situation in the state.
"We have just launched the 'Green Earth' Programme through which we have brought a myriad group of agriculture scientists, agri entrepreneurs, professors and even students of Agriculture Science under a common umbrella to provide guidance and support to the youth engaged in agriculture," said Koteswara Rao, Superintendent of Police, Bankura .
The program was launched on May 3 from Kusbona village under Chhatna police station when the police distributed high yielding variety of seeds of kharif rice, 8 types of vegetables seeds, fertiliser, vermicompost, insecticides besides apron, soap and masks to 60 families of the village.
The police has roped in a group of experts who will be sharing the latest knowhow of agriculture to the beneficiaries regularly. A senior police official of the district said that the program is being extended to different rural areas of the district in a phase wise manner keeping in mind the growing importance of primary sector for providing necessities and employment in the changed scenario.
The Bankura District police has already started online free coaching classes on regular basis for students from class VII to XII to keep them engaged during the lockdown period. The education project named Sopan is presently being implemented under Indas police station area to ensure that the students did not lag behind in their studies at a time when educational institutions across the state are closed. A local cable television network has lent support to the police in this initiative and presently over 3000 students have joined the virtual classes that are being held regularly.
Prominent teachers of the area, social workers, policemen, officials of various offices have come forward to take the virtual classes.
The district administration has also chipped in with online classes for students in Santhali and Alchiki language.