Potters in MP's Umaria district get tax exemption for an eco-friendly Diwali

Guided by young district collector Swarochish Somvanshi, government departments source over 60,000-clay diyas. 
Earthen lamps lit up around a traditional rangoli in Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh (Photo | EPS)
Earthen lamps lit up around a traditional rangoli in Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh (Photo | EPS)

BHOPAL: Aiming a totally green Deepawali replete with clay diyas, but free from the glitter of Chinese lamps and decorative bulbs, the young collector of Umaria district has rendered a new lifeline to these earthen lamp makers in the North-Eastern district Madhya Pradesh district.

Umaria, the forest-rich district will celebrate an out and out green Deepawali by using clay diyas (eastern lamps) on Sunday. And spearheading the drive for replacing Chinese electric bulbs with clay-diyas Deepawali is the local administration itself.

Over 60,000 clay diyas have been sourced by the local administration from clay diya makers and potters preserving their art in villages. These diyas will be lit on the Diwali evening to celebrate a twinkling Deepawali.

Umaria district collector lighting diyas with his wife 
Umaria district collector lighting diyas with his wife 

“The mining department has already purchased over 10,000 of these earthen lamps from the local potters, while other departments and the four Nagar Palikas/Nagar Parishads too are in the process of sourcing diyas from diya makers in their areas of jurisdiction for ensuring that Deepawali on Sunday evening is replete with garland of twinkling diyas everywhere in the district,” the 2012 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and Umaria collector Swarochish Somvanshi told The New Indian Express.

In June, Somvanshi had hogged headlines for his fight against malnourishment among children and the tribal menace of daagna (cruel practice of tribals branding kids with hot iron as cure to all ailments) and had removed the air-conditioners in his office – only to install them at the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) in Umaria district.

Eyeing to render the much needed lifeline to potters and artisans in Umaria district via clay diyas-lit twinkling Deepawali celebrations, Somvanshi issued an administrative order on October 17 for promoting sale of clay diyas. “All concerned departments, including urban local bodies were directed to exempt all artisans and small traders selling clay diyas from paying local taxes. The order was particularly helpful for artisans/potters coming from remote villages to sell diyas in big markets,” said Somvanshi.

Further,

a database of clay diya maker potters and sellers was drawn across all tehsils (Manpur, Bandhavgarh, Kakreli, Chandiya and Bilaspur) and all four Nagar Palika/Nagar Parishads (Umaria, Pali, Chandiya and Naurozabad) to render them tax benefits and address their other business problems before Deepawali.

“Merely facilitating their business via tax exemptions wasn’t enough to revive businesses of clay diya makers, so we decided them to give them a ready market of bulk buyers. With the government establishment being the biggest bulk buyer, we decided to buy over 60,000 diyas for Deepawali and replace the colourful decorative bulbs with our age old clay diyas in entire government establishment,” said Somvanshi.

Enthused by the entire government set up in Umaria going for twinkling clay diyas Deepawali, commoners too are making a beeline for such diyas from the potters/artisans. “After Deepawali, we’ll analyse the impact of our efforts on business of clay diya makers and make further plans for support them,” he added.

And the clay diya twinkling celebrations have already begun all across Umaria district, as the twinkling diyas replaced electric bulbs on Friday’s Dhan Teras celebrations in most places along with Rangolis, some of which conveyed the message that celebrating Deepawali with Chinese bulbs will send Devi Lakshami (Goddess of Wealth and Fortune) to China, but celebrating the festival of lights with clay diyas will bring the Goddess to your homes.

Two of these celebrations saw the district collector and his wife Shalini Somvanshi joining commoners in celebrations. 

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