Agartala, March 14 : Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Monday called the people to celebrate safe Holi with the locally made organic colours produced by the women of Laxmibil village of Bishalgarh under Sepahijala district. The villagers have already produced more than a hundred quintals of different types of organic colours from leaves, rotten flowers and vegetables from their orchards. Over 500 families of Laxmibill village have been involved in floriculture for a decade as an option for their livelihood but this year for the first time they tried the production of natural dye ahead of Holi. Encouraging the innovative efforts of the villagers, Chief Minister Deb urged the people to use organic colours produced locally while celebrating Holi this year promoting the product and added, “Let’s buy festival products from our beloved artisans and promote PM’s vision of #VocalForLocal#.” Deb mentioned the state government’s aim of empowering women and said women have been encouraged in the professional sphere because of the government’s provision of financial assistance, an opport ty to sell their goods in ration shops and easy access to loans. “After Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb formally launched the product on Monday at his residence, the supply order for all of our produces has been placed. We were asked to produce more in next four days to cater the demand of organic Holi colour,” said Minati Debnath, one of the entrepreneurs. She said a local SHG has been mobilised for packaging and supplying the colours to the market. During -winter when the life cycle of most of the flowers, vegetables and trees got over, they accumulated residuals of Carrots, beetroot, spinach leaves, flat beans leaves, Cabbage and flowers like Marigold, purple coloured Nilkantha and Palash blending with turmeric for producing colours. “Not a single chemical is used in blending of the colours, instead using aromatic flowers and leaves for good smell, which are necessary for our skin and health. The entire process of production right from the collection of raw materials, processing and blending were recorded to satisfy the customer,” Debnath pointed out. It’s observed that a large number of people of Tripura avoid playing Holi complaining of itching, irritation, allergic reaction and additive odour despite knowing that using colours on the body at least once in a year is important for well-being. Therefore, organic colours from plant wastes began in the last two years in the village and this time it goes bigger, she added. BB RN