Forward thinking bureaucrats are making efforts to improve the status of women in society. Recently, Collector V. Vishnu inaugurated the fourth banana fibre value-addition unit at Sengulam in Pappakudi union for making ornamental products from banana fibre by former beedi rollers, mostly women.

He said banana fibre, a waste getting generated after the harvest of banana from the fields, was available in large quantity in Kalakkad, Cheranmahadevi and Ambasamudram areas of Tamil Nadu where plantain was being cultivated on a few thousand acres. The district administration had created a banana fibre value-addition centre at Kalakkad after training the women, who were previously in beedi rolling industry.

The ornamental products being prepared by these trained women were being exported through Ramesh Flowers, a Thoothukudi-based private firm.

“Besides creating alternative employment to beedi rollers, the venture had ensured additional revenue to the women involved in it. Hence, two more units have been created in Suththamalli and Pappakudi where 160 women are working after getting trained. As the fourth venture, the banana fibre value-addition initiative had been taken up in Sengulam village under Kabaliparai village panchayat in Pappakudi union,” he said.

“Besides creating alternative employment to beedi rollers, the venture had ensured additional revenue to the women involved in it. Hence, two more units have been created in Suththamalli and Pappakudi where 160 women are working after getting trained. As the fourth venture, the banana fibre value-addition initiative had been taken up in Sengulam village under Kabaliparai village panchayat in Pappakudi union,”

— Collector V. Vishnu