One Station One Product: ER’s initiative empowers local artisans

Kolkata: To promote local artisans and entrepreneurs, the Eastern Railway (ER) has introduced One Station One Product (OSOP) stalls at major stations in the Howrah and Sealdah divisions. These stalls allow artisans to sell their handmade products directly to customers at fair prices.

OSOP stalls have been set up at various stations, including Howrah, Sealdah, Malda, Asansol, Adisaptagram, Ambika Kalna, Arambagh, Azimganj Junction, Dattapukur, Piyali, Lalgola, Bhagwangola, Murshidabad, Krishnanagar, Bongaon, Dum Dum Cantonment and many others.

“Through OSOP stalls, Eastern Railway is promoting the ‘Vocal for Local’ and ‘Local to Global’ movements, helping local art reach a global audience,” said a spokesperson of the ER.

According to ER officials, this initiative has been very beneficial to artisans in West Bengal, who had limited marketing opportunities. Now, they can easily sell their products nationwide, improving their livelihoods.

The application process for OSOP stalls at nearly 100 stations in the Howrah Division and around 100 stations in the Sealdah Division has started. The registration process can be completed online on the Indian Railways website. The fee for a 15-day registration is Rs 1,500, which includes 20 units of free electricity. For a 30-day registration, the fee is Rs 2,000 with 40 free electricity units. Additional electricity consumption will be charged separately.

“This is a great opportunity for local artisans and entrepreneurs to reach more customers, while passengers can buy unique handcrafted items at affordable prices,” said a spokesperson of the ER.