NAME OF THE ENTREPRENEUR : SHRI GOUTAM POREL

Address :Vill.- Itla, P.O.- Parbatpur, P.S. & Block – Jamalpur, Dist. – Purba Bardhaman

Age, Qualification & Mobile No. : 42 years, Read upto Class-VIII, Mobile No.- 8016902966.

Training Details : 20 days’ non-residential training on Mushroom Cultivation held at our sub-centre : Paratal Anchal Swami Vivekananda Sevashrama, Paratal, Jamalpur, Purba Bardhaman in the year 2019-20.

Pre-training Activity : Rs.8,000.00 per month from Cultivation and allied activities along with Mushroom Cultivation. 

Total Project Cost / Investment : Rs.70,000.00 (from own invested Rs.20,000.00 & Bank loan availed : Rs.50,000.00)

Brief description about the success of the trainee/entrepreneur and about the competencies identified in him/her and the role played by the Institute: Shri Goutam Porel is a very dynamic person who is into this mushroom cultivation activity for quite some time. His main thrust was however on cultivation of paddy. On being told that Paratal Anchal Swami Vivekananda Sevaswram, a sub-centre of the Ramakrishna Mission Samaj Sevak Sikshan Mandir, Belur Math, Howrah is going to hold a 20-days intensive training programme on Mushroom Cultivation Shri Porel readily enrolled himself. During the training he proved himself to be very positive and energetic person. He never hesitated to raise issues where he felt he was not fully informed. He was not shy in seeking clarification from the trainer. During the training his personal conduct and interaction with the fellow trainees and the faculties was very good. He was not a complacent person and always wanted to march ahead. He lives in a joint family along with his parents, wife, brother and son. After the training Mr. Porel has raised his daily mushroom production to around 20 kg. on an average. This is reflected in his monthly income which has shot up from Rs.8000/- p.m. to Rs.18000/- p.m. He has been able to convince bank to get a loan of Rs.50,000/- This has happened after adoption of modern technique of mushroom production which Shri Porel has learnt during the training. Considering his present level of income and future potentiality Shri Porel can be considered as a successful entrepreneur.

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NAME OF THE ENTREPRENEUR : SHRI RANJIT BARMAN

Address : Vill.- Itla, P.O.- Parbatpur, P.S. & Block – Jamalpur, Dist. – Purba Bardhaman

Age, Qualification & Mobile No. : 42 years, Read upto Class-VIII, Mobile No.- 8016902966.

Training Details : 10 months long fully residential training programme on REDP (Rural Enterpreneurship Development Programme) at Ramakrishna Mission Samaj Sevak Sikshan Mandir, Belur Math in the year 2011-12.

Pre-training Activity : Unemployed

Total Project Cost / Investment : Rs.3,50,000.00 only.

Brief description about the success of the trainee/entrepreneur and about the competencies identified in him/her and the role played by the Institute:

Shri Ranjit Barman, son of Shri Ganesh Chandra Barman was a student of the REDP course 2010-11 batch, the 10 month long fully residential training programme on agriculture and allied subjects of Ramakrishna Mission Samaj Sevak Sikshan Mandir, Belur Math, Howrah. He was from Cooch Behar district of West Bengal.

After completing secondary education Shri Barman was looking for some career path. During the early part of 2010 Shri Barman came into contact with Ramakrishna Mission Samaj Sevak Sikshan Mandir, Belur Math through a newspaper advertisement. The advertisement was on the flagship progr amme of the institute viz. Rural Entrepreneurship Development Programme. This is a holistic training programme on agriculture and allied subjects.

Shri Barman quickly enrolled himself in the batch of REDP 2010-11. Shri Barman was a very energetic and hardworking student. He always showed keen interest in learning new things. He was given a holistic exposure to all kinds of farm activities. He was never complacent and always remained committed to better his lot. For this he was always prepared to walk the extra mile. He was found to be very level headed and enterprising. He was an excellent go-getter who liked working in a team.

Being a boy from peasant family he had rudimentary knowledge in many spheres of agriculture, horticulture and floriculture. During the training period he showed his huge inclination towards floriculture. Later on during April 2012 he had also attended Farmers’ Training Programme at Ramakrishna Mission Samaj Sevak Sikshan Mandir, Belur Math under the auspices of NABARD.
For the last couple of years, he has specialized in Garbera cultivation. In Cooch Behar district of West Bengal the ideal condition for Garbera cultivation prevails. The soil is also very porous and the field remains well drained. Bright sunshine which is so important for accelerating the growth of the gerbera plant is abundantly available, harvesting period is also not very long i.e. only 90 days. Shri Barman is doing extremely well in Garbera cultivation for the last couple of years. He is producing Garbera of many varieties and also in myriads of colours.

Shri Barman is not only engaged in floriculture activity, he is also carrying on bettle vine cultivation, vegetable nursery, fisheries, paddy cultivation etc. His average monthly income is more than Rs.30,000/-. He has invested Rs.350,000/- in all the economic activities carried on by him. He is planning to obtain a bank loan for making further investment in his business pursuits.

As a recognition to the good work done in the field of Nursery Management & spread of Technology, the West Bengal government has honoured Shri Barman with the Krishak Sanman 2019 award.

With the present level of income and economic activities conducted Shri Barman can be termed as a successful entrepreneur.

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Sri Subhankar Thakur at Madhyamgram, Bidhanpally, North 24 Parganas:
It is now a site of attraction of the village people to visit the house near Pallisree Play ground of Sri Subhankar Thakur, a resident of Madhyamgram, Bidhanpally, North 24 Parganas district because of an eye-catching cage of exotic birds. Birds are uncommon and magnificently colourful. The varieties are of Conure, Red Rumped, Macaw, Grey Parrot, Bourke, Canary, Cockatiel, Holland (Badri), Frinch, Amaxon, Parakit & Love birds.

Sri Subhankar Thakur got trained under a SDI training programme launched by Ramakrishna Mission Samaj Sevak Sikshan Mandir on Aviary (exotic birds). He has lured a passion for nurturing exotic birds before joining the aforesaid training course. The training has added confidence & zeal in him to start an aviary farm in his homestead land. He has built-up a farm house with provision of 100 cages for rearing varieties of exotic birds. As a sequel of his effort – the cages are filled up with 78 birds of aforesaid varieties. The last year’s performance of Sri Thakur is pen pictured as under.

He used to spend Rs.40,000/- on account of fruit, gain & medicine & casual labours for the birds
and earned Rs.1,20,000/- by sale of gain, birds & cages. Thus net income stands at Rs.80,000/- in
course of 3 months of operation. In his small enterprise he could employ 4 persons as casual &
part-time workers.

His enterprise is not only wonderfully attractive & novel but also becomes a source of inspiration & aspiration for local youth to toe in his path.

Praggyanmoy Das Bairagya at Shikarpur, Nadia:
Here is a story of self-confidence and manifestation of Pragga (pragmatism). Sri Praggyanmoy Das Bairagya, an ex-trainee of our REDP course, hailing from a remote village named Shikarpur, Nadia, close to Bangladesh border area, started a small vermicompost unit at his village just after completion of his training. He has fruitfully utilised start-up fund of Rs.10,000.00 availed from Ramakrishna Mission Samaj Sevak Sikshan Mandir, Belur Math, Howrah. He has also been
granted bank loan of Rs.44,000.00 from United Bank of India, Karimpur branch shortly after start of his small vermicompost unit. But he is reluctant to avail the bank loan at this stage. There lies his pragmatic decision. Initially he has taken 6000 numbers vermi worm from Ramakrishna Mission Samaj Sevak Sikshan Mandir. In this small vermicompost unit 6000 numbers vermi worms have been cultured and multiplied to 1,50,000 numbers of worms. Then he has availed the bank loan added with own source of fund of Rs.1.00 Lakh to construct 6 nos. vermi pits of 40’×4’×1′ size each. Now he needs not depend on this institution or other concern for supply of worms. Huge number of worms generated in his small vermicompost unit have been utilised in his large area of pits. In the last phase of operation about 15000 Kg. of vermi compost have been produced. He has successfully found the potential market source and well-ahead demand for sale of the stock @ Rs.6.00 per kg. Even local panchayet samity has expressed their desire to purchase the production of his pits after seeing the high quality of vermi compost. Necessary official formalities are on the way to establish permanent business negotiability with the Panchayet samity & govt. agencies. As the position stands now the whole financial liability including bank loan can be liquidated after ¾ cycles of operation and standing monthly net income of Bairagya will range from Rs.30,000.00 to Rs.40,000.00 providing employment of 10 labourers. His performance has enlivened many youths of the locality to embark on such entrepreneurship ventures.

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Sri Gautam Chaterjee and Sri Saroj Mukherjee at Vivekananda Atma Bikash Kendra, Barjora, Bankura:
Sri Gautam Chaterjee and Sri Saroj Mukherjee belong to 2004-05 batch of 10 months’ comprehensive course conducted by the institute. Both of them were educated unemployment youth residing at Barjora in Barjora Block of Bankura district. Gautam also underwent a special
training on fish breeding at CIFA, Bhubaneswar. When they went back to their village after completion of training – they, along with some other young boys of the village, started translating their dream into action by forming a voluntary organisation named as ‘Barjora Vivekananda Atma Bikash Kendra’. Paving the path of self-employment by creating need-based and location specific employment generation activities is one of the primary objectives of the organisation.

With that aim in view they have launched series of activities – one followed by the other. Initially
poultry farm with 1000 broilers in a cycle was established. Gradually a model composite farm on about 7 acres of land has been established by them. Farm activities inter alia encompass Pisciculture, Duckery, Horticultural nursery, Vermicomposting, vegetable cultivation, paddy cultivation etc. Initially, they received soft loan of Rs.40,000/- in two phases from Samaj Sevak Sikshan Mandir as start-up capital for the establishment of the composite farm. Later on they also availed financial assistance under Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Yojna (PMRY) to the tune of Rs.2,89,000/-. The unique feature of their activities is noted with applause that their individual share in the profit of the project renging from Rs.25,000/- to Rs.30,000/- per month is fully contributed to the organisations’ activities.

The organisation has promoted 10 Self Help Groups including 4 SGSYs with enrolment of 110 members. Further, it has received due recognition from the Department of Agriculture, Govt. of W.B which has sponsored a ‘Farmers School’ to the organisation. They have been conducting various training and demonstration programmes for the farming community on modern farming practices through that school. A special practical demonstration on modern paddy cultivation under ‘System of Rice Intensification (SRI)’ method has been conducted associating 25 farmers from 5 villages around. A farmers’ club has been formed under the auspices of the organisation.

In furtherance of its objectives and with a view to strengthen the moral and ethical values of life the organisation runs a ‘Study Circle’ involving the local people.

As a whole the activities of the organisation under pivotal role played by Sri Gautam Chaterjee and Sri Saroj Mukherjee glitter like a silver line in the gray horizon when the youth at large suffer from unemployment and frustration.

The organisation has taken a challenging task to construct a double storied building within its premises with fund accumulated out of its activity – profit during last eight years and donation from well-wishers. The building with 5000 sft. space area in two years has already been completed. Now, the organisation can go ahead with more vigour & confidence for wider coverage of training programmes for unemployed youth. This is a land mark achievement for a voluntary organisation in the district.

Sri Samar Biswas, an ex-trainee of Ramakrishna Mission Samaj Sevak Sikshan Mandir, Belur Math undertaken REDP training in the year 2012-13, has ventured a Mushroom production unit just after completion of training. On a paddy field plot outside the village, he has constructed a mud built house with thatched roof with a space of 500 sft. area. Initially he got loan of Rs 10,000/- from this institute, he also got mushroom spawn packets from the institute. At that time he submitted proposal for bank loan.

First lot production of mushroom was limited to 3 to 4 Kg. per day, but in due course the production has been increased to 8 -10 Kg. per day. He has developed consciousness about the nutrition value of mushroom among surrounding villages by handbill campaign and create a good market demand. Due to self created market and a good margin of profit in mushroom, Samar gains Rs.500/- to Rs.600/- per day, resulting income of Rs.16,000/- (approx.) per month. All his efforts highly tell about his entrepreneurship potentiality and sincere endeavour. It is hopefully expected that his venture will further flourish with the loan of bank which is still under process.

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If entrepreneurship and endeavour get conjoined miracle may happen. Here is an example where Sri Sanjib Samanta becomes a proof of such miracle. Sanjib belonging to a poor family of a remote village named Krishnachal of Howrah district, had undergone the REDP training course of Ramakrishna Mission Samaj Sevak Sikshan Mandir, in 1988-89. Extreme poverty and lack of initial family support ,he was hopelessly wandering 2 years for getting settled in life. However his moral sprit was not dampened. He started vendering with local bakery products and got the market knowledge which motivated him to venture a production unit of From the very beginning he branded his products as “Paramananda Chanachur”. Only 3 persons were his helping hand. In the first year he could earn Rs.5,000.00 to Rs.6,000.00 in a month. With same infrastructural set up he continued his business for 3 / 4 years. He developed a good dependable market relationship and rapport with the consumers and wholesalers, with increasing volume of business. “Chanachur” a spice mix of varied pulses in a small shed with one oven in a nearby village named ‘Penro’.

From the very beginning he branded his products as “Paramananda Chanachur”. Only 3 persons were his helping hand. In the first year he could earn Rs.5,000.00 to Rs.6,000.00 in a month. With same infrastructural set up he continued his business for 3 / 4 years. He developed a good dependable market relationship and rapport with the consumers and wholesalers, with increasing volume of business.

In the year 2002-03 he appointed 8 persons in his new production unit on a plot of 1 katha land of his own. Spreading out in wide areas of Howrah district with all necessary permits and licenses, the average annual sale turnover fabulously increased. Initially he had to depend on his friends & relatives for procuring funds, but by end of 2004-05 he suffered fund crisis. Then he could overcome the crisis with the cash credit accommodation of Rs.5.00 lakhs from UCO Bank, Purnabha Nagar branch.Now the annual turnover of his business has touched an astonishing figure of Rs.2.00 Crores with gross profit of Rs.15.00 lakhs in a year where 19 workers have sourced their livelihood. His journey is still on and unbounded. He is venturing for a new bakery project valued Rs.23.00 lakhs under ‘PMEGP’ scheme. The factory shed has already been constructed in anticipation of early release of bank loan. He is happy with his wife & two children and related members of his business family .