‘Pallimangal’ is the Bengali word, meaning rural welfare. Obviously Ramakrishna Mission Pallimangal, Kamarpukur, Hooghly has been working in villages since its inception for the upliftment of the poor and downtrodden with an emphasis on the women folk through its health, education, economic, social and cultural development programmes under the direct supervision of its headquarter at Belurmath, Howrah.

The rural women by nature are attentive, disciplined and hard working. Some honest and proper guidance can make them efficient working persons resulting tremendous social development. The source of all power, The Holy Mother Sri Ma Sarada Devi at her very young age set an example to the world by making ‘holy thread’ from cotton with her mother at home. In the year 1905, when the freedom movement had taken a new shape and the people were suffering due to the acute shortage of cotton clothing, the inhabitants of the ‘Koalpara Ashrama’ at Bankura district were inspired by The Holy Mother for making cotton threads by ‘Charka’ (handloom). It is learnt that The Holy Mother also wanted to engage herself in making cotton threads by charka. It has been realized that where millions of people are living below poverty line in the miserable conditions, only economic help and academic education can not solve the problem. Unemployment being the main cause, it has been justified that aged persons, house wives and those who desperately need some income to support their families are best to give vocational training enabling them to earn some money to compete their need.

Swami Vivekananda expressed that the women must be taken ahead as they are the main source of all power and its development. Keeping this word in mind the Ramakrishna Mission, Pallimangal has been successfully running several rural development programmes including self reliance vocational training and production as well as marketing support system in weaving, jute handicrafts, incense stick making, food processing etc. with the primary objective of helping of poor and destitute women folk by providing them some opportunities of income generation and thereby improving their economic as well as social status.

Considering the needs and priorities of the area the soil testing laboratory was established at Kamarpukur in the year 1983. The objective was to encourage the farming community for scientific agriculture with balanced use of plant nutrients for higher production, economy in input cost, maintenance of soil health, reduction in environmental pollution etc. The area is one of the most intensively cultivated areas of West Bengal. The laboratory caters to the need of the farmers of four adjacent districts viz. Hooghly, Bankura, Burdwan and Midnapur West.The following figures highlight the performance of the laboratory during the year 2008-2009:

• Soil samples for testing received from farmers : 1224

• Soil samples received directly from farmers for testing: 1632

• Soil samples received from NGO :39

• Soil samples received from Government : 2

• Total soil tested during the year 2008-2009 : 321

The seed production programme was started in the year 2002 to help the farming community to supply certified seeds with active help and cooperation from the Agriculture Department of Government of West Bengal. In the reporting year mushroom seed production has been continued successfully since mushroom production is a good income generating activity.

Mushroom is a protein rich food having high nutritional value, low cost and can be preserved easily. In present days it is a very popular item in the food market. The cost of production is considerably low, easy to grow and does not require dedicated cultivating land rather it can be grown even in house area.

However, proper and reliable mushroom seeds are not always easily available. Hence, mushroom seed production programme has been undertaken in the year 2006. The programme has been successfully worked during 2007-2008 reporting year. Sri Arup Banerjee, a staff member of Ramakrishna Mission Pallimangal, Kamarpukur who had been trained by Ramakrishna Mission Saradapith, Belur, supervises the production centre.

Considerable quantities of fruits and vegetables such as tomato, green mango, potatoes etc. are either wasted or not utilized fully every year during the season. With an object of promoting cottage industries with locally available resources, minimizing wastage of perishable fruits and vegetable, showing the farmers' new source of marketing and simultaneously creating new income opportunities for unemployed poor and helpless persons, Ramakrishna Mission Pallimangal, Kamarpukur started this Food Processing and Training Programme during the year 2001-2002.

Ramakrishna Mission, Pallimangal is thankful to the Ministry of Food Processing Industry, New Delhi for their support and also Directorate of food processing Industries and Horticulture, Government of West Bengal for their co operations in setting up the unit and sponsoring training.

At present 22 different items are being processed and 8 persons employed in this unit.

This project has been running since inception in the year 2000-2001 and has been proved to be very successful. More than 35 items namely different types of bags, different decorating items, mobile phone bag, money purse, table mat, pen holder, desk calendar, greeting card cap, office file etc. are being produced and sold at the showrooms with very good response. More than 75 poor and destitute women are presently working in this unit as production basis wage workers. On an average 10 of them earns more than Rs.500 per month where as 2-3 of them earns more than Rs.1000/- per month. They work at Pallimangal workshop, Kamarpukur, Bhurkunda, Hazipur and individually at their houses. Those women working at the workshop at Kamarpukur are provided with mid-day supplementary nutrition at free of cost. 56 poor and destitute women got training during this year at Kamarpukur and Tarakeswar arranged by NCJD.

The weaving project has been functioning satisfactorily since its birth. Handloom weaving and stitching of products are being done here by women workers.At least 25 different types of cotton items are being produced regularly at the unit. They are namely, bed sheet, towel, handkerchief, duster, mats, side bag, carpet, dining roll (asana), chaddar (wrapper), muffler etc. Dhoti, uttariya and sarees have been produced by our unit in the village Avirampur. At least 33 poor and destitute women are engaged in this unit as production basis wage workers. On an average 7 of them earns more than Rs.500/- per month and 1 or 2 of them earns more than Rs.1000/- per month. Apart from this, some persons are engaged in weaving production in the unit at the village Bhurkunda. Five poor women including one handicapped woman are engaged in a unit at Nakunda village under this project. A few numbers of women have been trained successfully during the reporting year.

This project has been continued since its inception in the year 1980. Many poor and destitute women have been trained and earning under the project either working at the Kamarpukur workshop or at their home. After being trained many women collect raw materials from the workshop and prepare incense sticks at home at their free time after their household works thus they also support their family economically. All together more than 90 production basis wage workers worked in this project in the reporting year 2008-09. Some of them have earned more than Rs.500/- per month and 1 or 2 persons have earned even more than Rs.1000/- in some months. The products are sold under the brand name of “Sridham Dhoop”. More than 10 different types of incense sticks are being manufactured at present. Out of those, ‘Pure Sandal-wood’, herbal type ‘Arghya’, and one as mosquito repellent have become very popular to the customers. This project is supervised by Sri Arup Banerjee, the trained staff member of Ramakrishna Mission Pallimangal, Kamarpukur.

This unit has been manufacturing twine from raw jute regularly since its inception in the year 1987. The project was commenced in collaboration with erstwhile Jute Technological Research Laboratories (now NIRJAFT), Department of Science & Technology of Govt. of India and that of Government of West Bengal. The idea was to bring the processing unit at the level of jute growers to help the jute farmers and to provide employment to some rural youths.Fourteen local youths have been working satisfactorily as production basis wage workers under the supervision of two staff members. Production of twines of different counts during the year 2008-09 stands at 37.262 metric tones with average income of the production basis wage workers comes to Rs.1467.00.

This unit has not only functioning successfully but showing remarkable improvement since started in the year 2002. There is good potentiality for bee-keeping in the locality. Apiculture not only supports the bee-keepers but also helps the farmers through proper pollination of crops. With an object of helping the local people to utilize this potentiality, the programme is being implemented by Pallimangal. Training programmes are conducted from time to time and after completion of course the trainers are provided with bee box and other appliances. Quite a few numbers of unemployed youths are earning good amount of money through this activity. Raw honey is purchased from those bee-keepers and after necessary processing and bottling are sold by Pallimangal

With rapid depletion of the reserve of fossil fuel and increasing environmental pollution use of renewable sources of energy seems to be the only solution to same the environment and to sustain the process of development. Due to its abundance solar energy offers ample scope to be harnessed for providing household electricity especially in un-electrified and under-electrified areas. Pallimangal is trying to promote the use of different solar photovoltaic (SPV) and solar thermal systems through awareness generation and motivation since the year 2001. A few SPV street lights are being used at different places at Kamarpukur. Pallimangal have sold 46 numbers of solar fan caps, 1 no. of radio module and 1 no. of solar lantern during the reporting year 2007-08 through its sales-cum service activities on renewable energy. Sri Samir Roy, Staff member of Pallimangal supervises the programme.

Due to the social, economical, environmental and many practical difficulties a considerable part of our rural populace is yet to see the light of education. Pallimangal has been conducting a number of Non Formal Education centres at different villages to provide minimum literacy to those who failed to reach for regular schooling. Presently 19 such NFE centres for the backward and depressed classes are being run by Pallimangal in 13 villages under 9 Gram Panchyet areas of Goghat-I & II blocks, one in Tarakeswar Municipality and one in Kotalpur, Bankura area through active involvement of village level organizations.

To promote the sales of its’ products as well as for greater exposure and interaction with different customers and artisans a regular showroom cum sales counter is run by Ramakrishna Mission Pallimangal, Kamarpukur near Sri Ramakrishna Temple at Kamarpukur. With the same view the Pallimangal, Kamarpukur participated at ‘Paschim Banga Rajya Hasta Shilpa Mela’ held at Kolkata, and also launched special sales counter at cossipur & Kankurgachi (Yogodyan) Math during ‘Kalpataru Utsav, at Kankurgachi (Yogodyan) Math during ‘Nityabirbhav Utsav’, at Barasat Math during ‘Anual Puja Utsav’ and at Belur Math during ‘Tithi Puja’ and ‘Public Celebration’ Utsav. Total sales at all these places were overwhelming and beyond our expectations. We received huge response from thousands of customers for our different types of products like jute handicrafts, incense sticks, food processing products etc. Two staff members and one volunteer looks after the Kamarpukur show room regularly whereas in addition to staff members of Pallimangal 25-30 volunteers help in sales at the special sales counters in different festivals and exhibitions.