Looking for authentic Bamboo Rakhis? BRTC is the place!

Stylish and attractive Bamboo Rakhis  with exquisite inscriptions that call ‘Bhaiyya’, ‘Bhau’, ‘Dadasaheb’, ‘Taisaheb’ are on way to fast becoming a rage among sections of the buyers.

Even a cursory look makes  you fall in love with the cuteness.

The Chandrapur based Bamboo Research and Training Centre, BRTC, established in 2014,  is into research, training and skill development, thus aiming for engineering sustainable solutions with bamboo.  Sustainable for the ecology, environment as well as for empowering the bamboo growers and the artisans, mainly the tribals and women.

A state government initiative, the BRTC, Chandrapur is an autonomous organisation by the State Forest Department, Government of Maharashtra and has several accolades for its intiatives besides the gold medal for employment generation in 2018 by SKOCH group.

Director of the centre, Avinash Kumar, IFS, told indiainput.com that BRTC has three main areas of operation. It conducts a two year Diploma in Bamboo technology course, affiliated to Maharashtra State Board of Technical Education along with short term courses for local artisans, tribals, farmers to impart training for growing bamboo and making bamboo handicrafts.

He informs that, besides, BRTC in association with Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal runs six Common Facility Centres at different Taluka places. The members of Women SHGs work here to create beautiful bamboo artefacts which is further marketed by BRTC. Creation of livelihood opportunities for  women folks in far flung area is key to their empowerment.

The best part of the story is artistic and visually attractive Rakhis, besides a wide range of eco friendly bamboo products viz. gift items, decorative articles and daily use items by BRTC can be booked on phone.

Avinash Kumar, IFS and the man behind aggressively promoting the initiatives, says, our priority is to ensure the interests of the artisans and hence the pricing for the products is finalised taking in to consideration the minimum skilled wage rates etc. We have already sold about 26 thousand Rakhis this year and another stock of about 9 thousand attractive Rakhis is ready for the buyers. Orders are still pouring in and stalls have been set up. The retail price per piece is rupees twenty and bulk orders for more than a hundred pieces comes to 12 rupees plus GST. The GST is about 1 rupees and 50 paisa.

The beautiful artefacts do also provide a beautiful opportunity to us all, to associate with the cause of the environment and do our bit. So when one buys a bamboo product from the BRTC, it is reaffirming the commitment.