KISHANGANJ, Aug. 31 -- 35-year-old Neelam Devi is over the moon! She is the president of 'board of directors' (BOD) of Mahananda FPC (Farmer Producer Company) engaged in the processing and packaging of tea with its brand name 'Mahananda Leaf' at Pothia block in Bihar's Kishanganj. "I somehow managed to pass my intermediate examination and later my family got me married about 15 years ago," she said. "I never thought of such a thing in my life and today I am not only self-reliant but also an entrepreneur," she said while tears of joy rolled down to her cheeks. She handed over a packet of tea with brand name 'Mahananda Leaf' produced in the factory to this scribe to taste. "Now I want my two daughters to become officers and I hope poverty will not come to their studies," she affirmed while pointing out the tea factory being run entirely by the women associated with the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (PRLPS) known as Jeevika didis. Explaining the process of tea production like an entrepreneur, she said, "Plucking, withering to reduce moisture, rolling to break cell walls and release enzymes, oxidation where leaves react with air to develop colour and flavour and drying to stop oxidation and at last final product is achieved," adding "Later packaging is done with brand name Mahananda Leaf. She said, "The degree of oxidation is the main factor distinguishing the six major types of tea," She said, "All the work from plucking to processing and then packaging is being done by jeevika women known as Jeevika Didis under the Mahananda Jeevika Mahila Agro Producer Company Limited. Neelam Devi is not alone. There are 737 shareholders Jeevika didis associated with the factory spread in 10.6 acres area directly or indirectly. "We purchase leaves from our shareholders ridding them of middlemen's exploitation and this direct purchase helps our didis receive better returns for their work," 30-year-old Yogita Devi, secretary BOD of Mahananda FPC said, hoping "Now our didis will do the work of plucking with much enthusiasm." In Kishanganj, tea cultivation is practised in 10,200 acres and it is expanding. "We hope our Mahananda leaf will soon earn recognition not only in India but also abroad," BOD treasurer Chandni Singh said. Notably, the tea company of Jeevika Didis got registered by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs in 2021 and later the jeevika didis associated with BOD were given training about the processing and packaging unit before it was finally handed over to them on Thursday. A tea processing and packaging factory at Kechikechi Pada of Kushiyari panchayat falling under Pothia block today stands to tell the story of transformation from subdued, dependent, destitute to cheerful, self-reliant and affluent women. Additional chief executive officer (Jeevika) Abhilasha Kumari Sharma in her inaugural address on Thursday said, "The initiative is set to write another story of women empowerment in Bihar's Kishanganj," hoping "This will directly benefit farmers involved in tea cultivation and women involved in leaf plucking job." She declared Jeevika didis as 'symbol of women's empowerment through the new path to economic independence." District magistrate (DM) Vishal Raj explained that the unit was built under the Swarn Jayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojna with the prime objective to support farmers. He added, "The state cabinet later transferred the unit to jeevika and now it is run by the BOD of Mahananda FPC." He hoped the Jeevika didis would write the story of prosperity in the area yet again....