PATNA: Chief minister on Monday asked the officials not to harass the artisans engaged in making fish of silver in Banka. “Any artisan can produce any item and sell it anywhere in the country. They cannot be harassed,” the CM said. The CM’s attention was drawn by the artisans towards the problems they face from police and district administration. Nitish was interacting with the Jeevika didis eliciting details on their activities besides the making of silver fish by the artisans for sales across the country. The CM also launched 38 schemes worth Rs 2.77 crore for the district from Karjhausa village. At Mania village in Katoria block of the district, the CM gave Rs1.67 crore to 1,304 Jeevika self-help groups to carry out their activities. Further, after inspecting the fish farming in a pond run by Jeevika Mahila Gram Sangathan, the CM also presented it a cheque for Rs25,600 to conduct the activities. He also transferred the pond to the group.
However, along with the activities of the Jeevika groups at Mania, fish made out of silver by artisans for trade both within Bihar and outside it in the country drew his attention. The CM said he, on a visit to Banka in 2009, had first noticed the fish made out of silver for sales and two years later provided a scheme-based support for its expansion. “Now, it has shown the result. This has increased their income,” the CM said. The CM also went around the stalls selling the products prepared by the Jeevika didis and also inspected a children’s centre run under the aegis of Integrated Child Development Scheme at Mania, besides the honey processing centre run by a Jeevika group. He saw the integrated agriculture Suvidha Kendra at Karjhausa and Adivasi Suvidha Kendra that gives training to Jeevika didis.