HIMACHAL PRADESH: Himachal Pradesh, pattals and donas formed from the leaves are now used to serve food during social gatherings. In certain areas of the hill state, where nearly every family relied solely on pattals for lunch, they have been in use for 50 years. But gradually, paper and plastic plates and mugs took the place of pattals at social occasions.
But, they have now returned with an improved model, giving many rural women jobs. Lalit Jain, an IAS officer from the 2011 batch who is currently the director of the environment, initiated the Pattal Project for women’s self-help organisations in the district when he was appointed deputy commissioner of Sirmaur. This project has since been implemented throughout the state.
The main motivation behind starting this project with self-help women group was to create employment for the rural women. “When I was posted as Deputy Commissioner of Sirmaur I saw women carrying these big and thick leaves and trying to make a pattal out of them as it was difficult for them. I saw a tyre puncher machine that puts pressure on the tyre, so I decided that these big pattals can be pressed by this machine to give them shape. And this idea worked. Thus we improvised this tyre puncher machine in giving shape to pattals and donas,” he said.
Jain said, “As of now, one pattal and dona are sold by these women self-help organisations for Rs 5, and this improvised machine is handed to these groups through various government initiatives as it costs approximately Rs 75,000 and each group generates a profit of Rs 2.50 lakh each month. I carried out the initiative again when I was appointed Director of Rural Development and Panchayats. We request that the authorities concerned place one of these machines in each village, where the initiative will be implemented.”
All of the state’s districts have about 100 of these machines. The Lahaul and Spiti districts produce about one lakh plates and a dona of pattals every day. Now food is being served on the pattals in the opulent feast known as “Dham”, which is traditionally hosted on special occasions like weddings, childbirth, and religious holidays.
Jain received the coveted civil services award for his work with self-help groups while serving as Director of Rural Development and Panchayats. He began his career as a block development officer in Paragpur, progressed to the position of SDM in Nalagarh, served as municipal commissioner in Dharamshala, deputy commissioner in Sirmaur, director of rural development and panchayats, and is currently the director of the environment.