The Union ministry of rural development has praised the women’s self-help group (SHG) in Nalbari district for opening the first mask sale centre in Assam.

On Friday night, the ministry wrote on its official Tweeter account: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Taking inspiration from #Odisha to counter the scarcity of face masks, #SHG Didis of Nalbari, #Assam have set up a mask selling counter to cater to the public.”

Since the inauguration of Assam’s first mask sale counter, under the National Rural Livelihood Mission, in Nalbari on Thursday, 7,994 masks have been sold till now.

This is the first mask sale counter of women SHGs in Assam. Before Assam, Odisha had done the same.

Sources said 38 women across the lower Assam district are preparing masks for the sale centre.

Nalbari deputy commissioner Bharat Bhushan Dev Choudhury inaugurated the centre.

He said, “During the coronavirus pandemic, the demand of masks is increasing. To stay away from the disease, wearing mask is essential. All these masks have been made by women self-help groups under the National Rural Livelihood Mission.”

Banti Das from Tihu, who make masks for the sale centre, said, “We have prepared the masks from various type of cloth, especially from gamosas.”

Dipali Nath, an inhabitant of Kakaya village and a member of a self-help group, said the sale of masks was very satisfactory.

Diptara Medhi, also a member of a self-help group from Dakshin Pakowa, said, “We made the masks in 12 days. The price of a mask is Rs 30y.”

“Gamosa mask”, prepared by two tailors of Nalbari, has found a huge demand among residents of the district.

Jonali Deka of Balikariya Kharjara is making masks from gamosa with the help of Dhruba Deka of Barnarddi Phulbari village.

Around 60 SHG women in Kokrajhar district have also prepared 6,914 masks by aarnai, a traditional cloth of the Bodo people.

They also made the masks under the National Rural Livelihood Mission scheme.