Four-day mango fest concludes

The four-day mango festival organised by the state Panchayats and Rural Development department and Paschimanchal Unnayan Affairs department has evoked overwhelming response among the visitors. It came to an end on Monday.among the visitors. It came to an end on Monday.department and Paschimanchal Unnayan Affairs department has evoked overwhelming response among the visitors. It came to an end on Monday.organised by the state Panchayats and Rural Development department and Paschimanchal Unnayan Affairs department has evoked overwhelming response among the visitors. It came to an end on Monday.

In a first-of-its-kind, mangoes which were sold and displayed at the festival had been grown in the orchards in Bankura, Purulia, West Midnapore, Jhargram and Birbhum districts respectively under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme. It was a general belief that mangoes do not grow on soils of the participating districts. Over 30 metric tonnes of mangoes of these districts were brought and sold at the festival which was held at City Centre I. tonnes of mangoes of these districts were brought and sold at the festival which was held at City Centre I.

Primarily, Malda and Murshidabad are two main mango producing districts where farmers have been growing the fruit for generations.

Subrata Mukherjee, minister for Panchayats and Rural Development, said growing mangoes in these five participating districts has become the principal means of livelihood. minister for Panchayats and Rural Development, said growing mangoes in these five participating districts has become the principal means of livelihood.

The land to the mango growers have been given by the state government where they grow the fruit under MGNREGA scheme. Most of the mango gardens are

looked after by women self-help groups (SHG)s.

It may be mentioned that the lepers of Bankura who got cured of the disease had accepted begging as the only means of livelihood after their family members refused to take them back.

These people are now growing mangoes and vegetables under the MGNREGA scheme and some of the fruits that were grown in those gardens and looked after by them were brought to the festival.