Koraput: Amid continuous attempts by Andhra Pradesh government to intrude into Kotia panchayat of Koraput and woo its people by offering sops, the state government has taken up a slew of projects to counter the moves. The state government is making all-out efforts to build infrastructure and create income generation opportunities for its people so as to make them happy. The latest thing added to its list is a plan to promote broom grass cultivation in the area.
Demand for brooms made out of grass is high in the market. Keeping this in view, Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS) has thought of taking up this grass cultivation in the fringe area on which the neighbouing state has set its sight and where it is sporadically stoking controversies by making intrusive bids. “To foster economic growth of the region by creating scope for earning, ORMAS will encourage people to start broom grass farming. It has set a target to choose 800 beneficiaries in the panchayat, who will be trained and helped to grow grass,” said deputy director of ORMAS’s district unit Roshan Kumar Kartik.
He added that broom grass cultivation will be encouraged under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
Additional project director Soumendra Kumar Nayak said steps had been taken to distribute saplings of broom grass among the beneficiaries. People in the area collect broom grass sticks with their flowers, but they cannot bind broomsticks in an attractive fashion. As a result, they have to sell out the brooms at throwaway prices, it was said. After harvest of the broom grass, people will be trained on how to bind the brooms properly to add value to them for enhance its marketability, Nayak said
