Malda: Amid talks of women empowerment and other benefits of the ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ scheme touted by the Trinamool Congress, ET discovered that even in the remotest villages of West Bengal’s Malda district, women are self-employed and not solely dependent on the welfare scheme.
In most of the houses ET visited in Malda’s remotest parts–from Achintala to Sujapur–women roll bidis at home. They have been doing it for years.”Yes, we get ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’; my daughters get ‘Kanyasree’ for education; but bidi-making is a form of livelihood for me,” said Mousamad Bibi, a resident of Debipur-Hajipur in Kaliachak block.She said she makes bidis apart from doing the household work. “Running around here and there for SIR documents has made us lose so much money every day,” she ..
Bidis are made of Kendu leaves. The work largely comes under the unorganised sector.A bidi maker earns between Rs 150 and Rs 200 for 1,000 bidis rolled. The leaves are either procured from factories in a centralised place or from some households that collect and prepare the leaves.
Bidi-making is a well-known means of livelihood in the region. To woo voters, Trinamool Congress’ Sabina Yasmin, the sitting legislator from Mothabari who is contesting from Sujapur, was seen sitting in a village making bidis with local women as part of her campaign.
Taheba Bibi, from Jagdishpur area, runs a grocery shop at her home. “I get Rs 200 per 1,000 bidis I make. We have been doing this for years,” said Taheba Bibi, sitting next to a handmade basket with dry kendu leaves.