Priest in Rae Bareli makes pens from discarded paper

Lucknow: Dalmau, an assembly segment in Rae Bareli, the parliamentary constituency of Mrs Sonia Gandhi, is making news for an unusual reason these days. The Khandeshwari Ashram in Dalmau has got its devotees to learn how to make pens using discarded newspapers instead of plastic.

The Mahant Krishna Bihari, who heads the ashram, told reporters that this was being done to create consciousness about environment and stop use of plastic as far as possible.

Explaining the making of pens out of paper, he said, “We cut out a long strip from the newspaper and apply glue on the strip of paper. Slowly and carefully, we pull the paper up from the tip of the re- filler to get a pen like look. Finally, we secure the paper with glue and allow it to dry”.

The Mahant said that the pens were being distributed free of cost to students but some of them insisted on paying for them so that the initiative can be taken forward. He said that some of the workers in the ashram who were poor, were also being paid to make the pens and this was a major motivating factor for them.

Women in the village were also joining in the production of pens in their free time.