Imphal, Mar 28 (ANI): Manipur's smart society is working towards providing job opportunities to unemployed youth in the region by utilizing easily available natural resources. It recently set up an oil extraction and refinery plant in Imphal, the first of its kind in the northeast.
This is the first compact oil extraction and refinery plant in the northeastern region, set up by the SMART society under the Salai Agro Products Pvt. Ltd at Tera Loukrakpam Leikai in Imphal.
The plant operates with international level advanced oil technologies and equipments.
It has the capacity to process five tonnes of mustard oil per day and it plans to extract other oil seeds in the future.
It aims to market its finished product outside the state and export it to other countries as well.
At present, the plant is being managed by four skilled workers and employs several other workers on a daily wage basis.
"You know, since we realised from the door of our understanding and for the last five years of our experience, in the field of changing the society into smart society, our agriculture in state of Manipur is not lack of resources but it lacks of policies to ensure that the food is produced where it is needed and in a manner that it sustains the livelihood of the people living in the state," said Narengbam Samarjit Singh, Managing Director, SMART Society.
The SMART society, which was set up on 21st November 2008, is the brainchild of a few educated unemployed youths of the state.
The organization was formed with the main objective of generating job opportunities, and to promote bio-resources development in the state.
The new oil plant set up by the society has come as a boon for over 2000 farmers.
With encouragement from the society, farmers are now utilizing barren paddy fields to cultivate mustard and other commercial value oil seeds.
"As a farmer we do not have other work but now we are getting work to do and we are earning money through this .So it's a very helpful and good initiative," said Yaima Singh, a contract farmer.
"SMART society is doing a good job for people. Smart society gave us work which is very helpful and it is a kind of big development for our society and for us," added Jateshwore Singh, another contract farmer.
Manipur has abundant natural resources which if utilized properly can speed up economic development of the state.
Such small initiatives not only provide employment to many people but in the long run will also bring about agricultural and industrial growth in the state. (ANI)
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