Jute bags to be used instead of plastic at Sufal Bangla stalls

Kolkata: The state Agriculture Marketing Department has introduced jute bags to discourage the use of plastic.

There are two basic reasons behind introducing the jute bags. First of all, it will encourage the use of jute bags and at the same time, it will bring down the use of plastic bags.

Tapan Dasgupta, the state Agriculture Marketing minister, said: "The steps have been taken up following direction of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. It will help to promote jute bags." At present, there are 76 Sufal Bangla stalls where hundreds of people visit every day to get fresh fruits and vegetables at the right price. From now onwards, an initiative has been taken up to give a jute bag free of cost to a person, who will buy goods worth minimum Rs 200.

No more plastic bags will be used at Sufal Bangla stalls. Instead, people will be given fruits and vegetables in jute bags to those who will buy the same worth more than Rs 200.

The minister said initially as many as 5,500 jute bags will be distributed. He has also urged people not to use plastic bags as they cause environmental hazards.

It may be mentioned the state government has set a target of setting up 100 Sufal Bangla stalls.

Steps have also been taken up to set up the remaining 24 stalls in different parts of the state. Sufal Bangla stalls were introduced to ensure that common people get fresh vegetables at the right price and the stalls are mainly run by Farmers' Producers Organisations (FPOs).