M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Aug 6: A pottery exhibition and sale outlet on platform number 1 of the Daltonganj railway station was inaugurated by Palamu DDC Megha Bhardwaj on Saturday. The pottery outlet has come under the auspices of the Mirda Palash Swalambi Sahkari Samiti Ltd.
The outlet sells Dahi handi, roti tawa, surahi, pitcher, coffee mug, roti hot pot, milk feeding bottle for kids and other useful items.
Megha Bhardwaj, in her brief speech, said earthenware can be a suitable alternative to plastic ware as now people are loving to cook food in the ‘mitti ke bartan’.
She said pottery is environmental as it is biodegradable. “Earthenware is now in fashion too,” she reminded.
The pioneer of the trendy pottery movement in Daltonganj Avinash Dev, who is the owner of a prestigious school here, said the outlet at the railway station will draw the attention of the travelling masses and in due course of time, the pottery goods will be the identity of Daltonganj and Palamu.
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Lagatar24.com correspondent raised the issue of no earthenware factory here in Palamu which has a suitable clay for the earthenware and that all the earthenwares put up for exhibition and sale has come from Wankaner Gujarat, UP, Kolkata and Ranchi.
On this, DDC Megha Bhardwaj said: “Avinash Dev should identify land and give us a proposal for the factory. We will refer this to the industry department. This industry department will take the call on it.”
The DDC assuring Avinash Dev said the administration will coordinate with the bank to give him a loan at a much lower rate of interest.
Avinash Dev said this startup needs active assistance from the bank as well as its market is around and for tapping the market consistent production of earthenware is needed for which revolving fund is required.
“Our transportation cost gets too high besides as we bring it from states like Gujarat, UP, West Bengal etc. We suffer damages on account of mishandling of the earthenware in the transit from say Gujarat’s Wankaner to Daltonganj or from Kolkata to Daltonganj. Had we started production of the earthenware, here their cost would have been far less for the people and our trade of pottery would have picked up,” Avinash added.
