NATORE, Deel 1: The black smiths of the district have been facing enormous problems due to lack of patronisatfon and price hike of essential inputs, reports UNB.

About 3,000 blacksmiths are passing their days in great hardship for quite a long time. They are not getting fair price of their products due to lack of marketing facilities and as a result they are forced to sell the same below the production cost.

Meanwhile, a large number of them have already deserted their age-old occupation and turned day labourers for the very survival, local people said.

Stngra. Gurudaspur, Banpara. Bagatlpara, Lalpur, Watla and many other areas of the district are mostly populated by the blacksmith community. These people are now

facing great hardship to maintain their livelihood.

While taking to UNB, some blacksmiths told that the price of their products has gone down in the past few years while the prices inputs have Increased manifold during the same pe-

•^The Sfacksmiths are produ. ing dao. axe. knife, kitchen knife and other essential agriinputs which are being sold in the local markets. But now the situation has changed due price hike of necessary ingredients. They are reluctant to produce family tools as they are to sell these below the production cost

The blacksmiths urged the government to provide them with short term loans and necessary patronisatfon to continue their ancestral occupation