GUWAHATI, Feb 24 - An awareness camp on handmade paper and fibre industry was organised by Elrhino Eco Industries Pvt Ltd at Chatabari Anchalik High School, Chaygaon on February 21, a press release said.
Sponsored by the Khadi and Village Industries Corporation (KVIC), the event attracted a large number of aspiring entrepreneurs from Chatabari, Birpara, Lampara, Boko and Chaygaon. The officials of KVIC, Guwahati, provided detailed information about the prospects of the handmade paper industry and the various facilities offered by KVIC, including matters relating to subsidy available under the Prime Minister�s Employment Generation Mission.
In his address, Narayan Borkataky, Member, KVIC, urged the youths to set up small scale units for making handmade paper units using locally available raw materials.
Kamrup Deputy Commissioner B Seshan urged the youths to take advantage of the subsidy available under PMEGP and facilities offered by KVIC.
Professor Ram Gopal Uppaluri of IIT, Guwahati, spoke about the various innovative processes suitable for rural youths which have been developed by IIT, Guwahati and urged the youths to use these technologies to start small scale rural manufacturing units.
MC Bora of Elrhino Eco Industries described the process of handmade paper at Elrhino�s micro level industrial unit located at Chatabari Industrial Estate. He explained how Elrhino is making eco-friendly tree-free paper from elephant dung, cotton waste, recycled paper, banana stem and water hyacinth and marketing them internationally. Citing the example of the households at Sanganer in Rajasthan, he explained to the audience that, as in the case of Rajasthan, the rural entrepreneurs of Assam can also set up small cottage industries in their own homes for making raw paper from banana fibre if they can extract the fibre from the banana stem.
The rural women present at the camp showed great interest in the talk delivered by Narmohan Das about dyeing handloom fabric with natural dyes using local materials.
At the close of the meeting Seshan, who is also the CEO of Biotechnology Park, visited Elrhino�s factory at Chatabari along with the other dignitaries. He suggested that since hand paper making is a biotechnological process in which Elrhino has gained considerable expertise, the possibility of collaboration between Elrhino and Biotechnology Park should be explored. He requested Bora to visit the Biotechnology Park at Amingaon for discussion on the subject.
