kolkata: West Bengal Khadi and Village Industries Board (WBKVIB) has decided to revive the handmade paper centre located at Dhaniakhali in Hooghly.
"Some modifications in the existing infrastructure of the unit at Dasghara, particularly repairing of the machinery and modernisation as per need of the changing times, will enable us to start production. A team from our engineering section and an expert in this field have already visited the site multiple times and are working on a concrete plan for reviving the centre. The sheds of the unit have also been damaged and needs to be repaired. Our intention is to first make the unit operational and accordingly other measures for further modernisation will be taken up," a senior official of WBKVIB said.
Recently, WBKVIB Chairman Kallol Khan chaired a meeting of the board members at the centre itself in presence of senior officials of the district administration. Another board meeting will be held on July 27 where the modalities for starting production at the earliest are likely to be finalised.
The centre had started its journey about a few years after Independence, but had stalled production in 2007-08 due to lack of manpower and some other problems.
Handmade paper has the advantage of being 100 per cent wood-free, which makes it the most eco-friendly form of paper. It is excellent for writing as well as printing. It has greater tensile, bursting, tearing and double fold strength compared to conventional papers.
It is used for preserving various note sheets of the state government offices and as file covers. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee often uses this paper for sending greetings and similar messages. Presently, there are some private units that manufacture handmade paper .
The unit was used by WBKVIB for offering training and in the year 2020, some 58 local people were trained in the production of this paper. Some 10 to 15 people from these trained lots will be selected for starting production.
Handmade paper can be used to make diverse and stylish products such as bags, diaries, envelopes, gifts and gift boxes, etc.