May 21 became a “Red Letter Day” for the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) when it created a world record in distributing Maximum Number of Bee-Boxes in a Single Day.
The KVIC added this “feather to its cap” today (May 21 is celebrated globally as “World HoneyBee Day”) during its Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena’s efforts of distributing 1,000 bee-boxes in one day – and thus beating the record of 841 in Israel some 2 years ago — among 100 Mishing Asamese tribals in the Kaziranga forest area of India, according to KVIC officials.
From the moment Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a clarion call for ‘Sweet Revolution’ in India, the KVIC swung into an action mode enthusiastic ally with its +Honey Mission+ by setting itself a target of distributing 1, 30,000 bee-boxes before November 2018 across the nation – an area crisscrossing the Narmada valley area of Guajarat to Kaziranga forest in Assam, and the hilly Pampore area of Jammu and Kashmir to the dense forests of Mysuru.
The KVIC also distributed 200 gms Honey bottles to 500 schoolchildren of Sankar Dev Sishu Niketan at Kohera village in Kaziranga. A total 25,000 honey bottles were distributed across the country by KVIC on May 21 in celebrating ‘World Honey Bee Day.’
However, The KVIC’s strategy aimed at not just distributing bee-boxes, but also creating related jobs for youth in Kaziranga where the 100 beneficiaries received certificates in bee-keeping following practical training by KVIC experts in examining honeybee colonies, knowledge of the various bee species (colony organization, division of labour and life cycle of bees) and apicultural equipment, identification and management of bee enemies and diseases, honey-extraction and wax-purification, and management of bee colonies in spring, summer, monsoon, autumn and winter seasons.
KVIC Chairman V K Saxena, who is constantly monitoring the ‘Honey Mission’s progress, pointed out that, besides production of 30,000 kilograms of high-quality honey from these bee-boxes in the zero-pollution Kaziranga area, bee-keeping would open up many job avenues for unemployed youths and aspiring young entrepreneurs. “Being the nodal agency of the Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), the KVIC will provide loans for setting up units of processing, packaging and labelling units for honey,” he said, adding, “The development initiatives taken by KVIC in Assam have provided a ray of hope for tribal people here and they are excited to be the part of development. Besides, bee-keeping will also enhance the rich flora and fauna of the Kaziranga forest area through cross-pollination.”
The KVIC — in devising a novel method of eradicating illegal poaching while simultaneously maintaining the flora and fauna in and around Kaziranga National Park – had established in 2017 a Khadi training-cum-production centre in association with the Assam forest department by providing 25 charkhas, five looms and other accessories to the village artisans at Silimkhowa village in Kaziranga forest area. This was also — for the first time in Assam — when Cotton Khadi work began with 10-spindle charkhas that provided job opportunities to nearly 50 rural families of this area, he said.
“As Khadi and Village Industries activities have underlined good employment potential in almost all districts of Assam, we will leave no stone unturned to provide job opportunities to rural youth under the PMEGP and keep them engaged in creative works. With proper mental, physical and social involvement, they will eke out their livelihood properly while also standing out as custodians of saving endangered species and other flora and fauna in their area,” Saxena added.
