Honesty Stores: Unmanned Shops Helps Locals Earn Few Extra Bucks In Remote Assam villages

'Honesty Stores' are the unmanned shops of the local youths to sell their homegrown products without spending time as a shopkeeper.

Golaghat: When you travel to Dhekial, Jogibari and some other remote villages in Golaghat district you may find some packets of edible stuff, fresh vegetables or meats kept on some wooden tables or raised bamboo platforms. Unmanned during the whole day, these roadside stalls are seen brimming with fresh vegetables, rice, leafy vegetables, and duck meat --all neatly packed with a price tag attached to each packet.

One can simply deposit the money in the tin box kept alongside or scan the QR code which was attached to the table to make the payment for buying any of the packets.

Welcome to the 'Honesty Store', the unmanned shops which have encouraged some of the local youths to sell their homegrown products without spending time as a shopkeeper. The trust has not only kept their business going but also encouraged the youths to devote time to some other trade they were engaged in.

Honesty Shops owned by numerous people seem to be growing in and around the Dhekial and Jogibari areas of the Golaghat district and the customers have so far kept the trust encouraging the owners to add new items to their inventory every day. The Honesty Stores are also encouraging the locals to sell their homegrown products without investing in setting up a store or shop.

"I have seen on social media about such unmanned shops in Nagaland. The idea struck me instantly. I have set up two wooden tables on the roadside near Jogibari and put up for sale whatever I grow at home. As I am also engaged in a tea plantation, I can't give time to sell the products. This concept of an unmanned store has helped me a lot. Initially, there was confusion among the people but from the second day onwards, there was no confusion. I have been able to sell the homegrown products without having to spend time as a shopkeeper," said Bimal Konwar, who owns such a shop in the area.

Konwar sells most of his products through his unmanned shop. "The whole business is based on trust. But I am getting good benefits, people pay and take the items displayed as per the price tags," Konwar said.

"We have gone to travel towards the Jogibari side. We saw the shop without the shopkeeper. It was a new concept and a good one. We bought lots of fresh vegetables from there," said one of the buyers who happened to pass by the area and saw it.

Most of the people in the remote areas have at least a kitchen garden and the concept of unmanned stores is helping many in the area to sell their homegrown products.