OREANDA-NEWS. Tata Power, India's largest integrated power company, has always endeavoured to improve the quality of life of the communities in and around its project areas. In line with this, Tata Power has undertaken various training programmes on the manufacturing of agarbatti for women from the Naraj Marthapur village. This time the company has taken a step forward in providing sustainable livelihood opportunities for the women in the area and inaugurated the agarbatti production centre. The agarbatti production centre was inaugurated by Arvind Padhee, IAS, revenue divisional commissioner, and Purushottam Thakur, head, Odisha projects, Tata Power.

More than 50 girls will benefit from this initiative, as they have now been provided with the opportunity to earn a sustainable livelihood for themselves and their families. The centre will operate in two shifts, with 25 girls working during each batch. The timings have been bifurcated into 6am to 12pm and 12pm to 6pm in the evening. Twenty girls will be given one machine each during their shift and five girls will operate the mixing of power and blending machines as well as sorting and packaging the finished products.

Speaking on this initiative, Mr Padhee stated, “Tata Power has undertaken numerous initiatives for the benefit of unemployed youth in Odisha and the adjoining areas. With the development of the agarbatti production centre, Tata Power has created a sustainable model for employment opportunities for women. We would like to appreciate Tata Power for all their contributions and initiatives in Odisha.”

Speaking on this initiative, Mr Thakur commented, “We at Tata Power are committed towards sustainable development of the local communities. We do not just limit our efforts to the project area but also extend it to the entire district. We believe that by undertaking such initiatives we can provide sustainable employment to the local communities in the area. We aim to adopt different models of sustainability in the area based on the skill and talent of the community. Through the agarbatti production centre we aim to empower young girls and provide them with a sustainable means of income.”

The company has also identified six girls from each team to undergo a week-long training in order to learn how to operate a double-pedal agarbatti machine. Presently, the entire team of 50 girls can produce 10kg raw batti per day during each shift. By using the double-pedal agarbatti machine, their output will increase to 30kg raw batti per girl per day. The approximate earning per day for a girl working for six hours would be Rs150.