Nishtha Niketan' — Amarpur’s Model for Honesty, Dignity, and Sustainable Rural Growth

Saurav Gupta

August 9, 2025

In the heart of Tripura’s Gomati district, Amarpur R.D. Block is known for its scenic hills, tranquil atmosphere, and farming-based villages. Yet for years, local farmers — particularly small cultivators — have struggled to get fair prices for their produce, losing margins to brokers and middlemen.

To break this cycle, the Block administration launched 'Nishtha Niketan' — a pioneering farm-to-consumer market. The concept, the brainchild of Sri Utpal Das, Block Development Officer of Amarpur R.D. Block, is as simple as it is powerful.

Every day, in the Block Office courtyard, fresh, chemical-free vegetables — brinjals, bottle gourds, cucumbers, ridge gourds, radishes, okra, tomatoes — arrive from different villages, grown by women farmers from Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Agri CSPs. Each day, a different panchayat — such as Rangamati, Bampur, Paharpur, Douluma, or Sarbang — takes its turn to supply the stall.

There are no vendors, no bargaining, and no persuasion. Prices are pre-tagged; customers simply pick what they need and drop the exact payment into a collection box. No one watches, yet everyone pays — a quiet tribute to trust and personal integrity. At day’s end, the proceeds are handed in full to the women farmers.

Why It Matters :

* Trust in Action: Encourages honesty and self-discipline among buyers.

* Empowering Women: SHG farmers receive their rightful earnings, enhancing financial independence.

* Healthy Food, Healthy Soil: Promotes organic cultivation and soil fertility.

* Stronger Rural Economy: Rotational participation ensures steady income and diversity.

* Complete Transparency: Every rupee reaches the producer without middlemen.

More than a vegetable market, 'Nishtha Niketan' is a working model of sustainable rural development — blending community trust, women’s empowerment, organic farming, and administrative transparency.

If replicated across Tripura, it could transform the rural economy. For now, it stands as a shining example — and a matter of pride — for Amarpur, where the hills and rivers shelter not just beauty, but also integrity and innovation.

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