Banda (UP), Nov 29 (PTI) The district administration here has requested the Uttar Pradesh government to build a godown to relieve the artisans engaged in making the district's famed shazar stones from the difficulty of procuring the raw materials, an official said on Sunday.

Arrangements for online marketing of the product are also being made, he said.

Also Read | Farmers Protest in Delhi: BJP Top Brass Including Amit Shah, JP Nadda, Narendra Singh Tomar Meet to Discuss Issue.

Scientifically known as Dendrite Agate, these stones, used in making jewellery and other decorative items, are found in two rivers, the Ken and Narmada.

While shazar stones are obtained from Ken river which flows in the west of Banda district, its availability is more in Panna district of Madhya Pradesh.

Also Read | Sikhs For Justice Announces $1 Million Aid for Protesting Farmers, Intelligence Agencies Vigilant.

Trimming and shaping the stones into beautiful jewellery and decorative items involve a lot of hard work and experience, said Dwarika Prasad Soni who deals in sale of Shazar stones.

Deputy Commissioner of Chitrakoot division (industry department) Mohammad Zahruddin Siddiqui said, "The biggest problem the traders face is selling the carved products and availability of raw material."

"At a meeting of Zila Udyog Bandhu chaired by the district magistrate of Banda, a proposal was sent to the state government to build a godown to store raw material in the district. Arrangements of online marketing are also being made," he said.

Availability of raw material is more in Panna district of Madhya Pradesh. Those will be bought in the proposed government godown, and made available to craftsmen," Siddiqui said.

Shazar stone has been categorised as one district, one product (ODOP) for Banda, and at present there are 24 Shazar factories in the district.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)