Rastriya Samachar Samiti

Bhojpur, March 24:

Scores of Nepali hand-made companies set up in remote parts of Bhojpur district are likely to die out because of the on-going conflict in the country. Nepali hand-made paper is well-known for its special qualities and is widely used in government offices like land revenue office and courts for documentation purposes. The widespread popularity of the handmade paper has also made it a lucrative export item in recent time. Hand-made papers are durable, as bugs cannot destroy them. The papers are produced from bark of lokta (daphne) plant, which can be found in forests at an altitude of more than 2,500 metres. About a dozen hand-made industries in the northern part of Bhojpur are facing hard times as the chemical used in the hand-made paper production is increasingly being used for making explosives. Only four hand-made industries are currently running in Bhojpur. According to the local office of cottage industries, there is good market for hand-made paper products, which fetches incomes ranging from Rs 100,000 to Rs 300,000 a year.