Three-day National Public Health India Conference kicks off in Delhi
Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare S P Singh Baghel inaugurated the first National Public Health India Conference (NPHICON) here on Friday.
A salt producers society in Bolanga under while has been defunct will soon be revived with the assistance of National cooperative development corporation (NCDC). A four-member team of NCDC visited the area on Tuesday.
The additional district magistrate, Manas Kumar Padhi, manager district industries centre, (DIC), Ghasiram Murmu and local tehsildar while were present during the team’s visit they had discussions with the farmers associated with salt production in the area.
It may be noted while around 450 families of seaside villages were extracting natural salt with traditional means since more than 90 years and operating under a society. But since last five years, the extraction has stopped.
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The filling of channels and the restriction on non-iodized salt etc had led to the collapse of this unit. About 330 acre of land was used to produce 300 MT per annum.
According to sources when this non-iodized salt didn’t find a market in the recent past years the farmers were supplying their produce to the prawn hatcheries.
Under the distress condition while they were continuing with the profession and business yet due to non-dredging of a channel they found very tough situation.
A cooperative society was formed in 1970 and it functioned till 1996. The team besides stressing on revamping the defunct society also emphasised on marketing the produce(salt).
“This is the only salt farmers’ society existing in the state. The objective of NCDC visit is to revive the salt producing society. The MD NCDC, Nayak has asked to prepare a DPR and submit report. The NCDC would extend financial as well as technical support for the revival. The team also stressed on marketing and packaging of the produce of the farmers. The natural salt still has a demand in the market,” said Padhi, the ADM, Balasore.
The district collector Ramesh Rout said, a meeting had been convened next month and all stakeholders will be invited to discuss revival of the unit by the NCDC.
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