Government plans to strengthen SHGs: Ramesh

JASHIPUR: At least 1.5 lakh SHGs will be formed in the State in addition to the existing 5 lakh groups, said Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh here on Sunday.The women SHGs in all Southern States - Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Karnatak and Kerala have brought a ‘kranti’ and become self reliant through such organizations. “Our next plan is to strengthen the groups in Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhatisgarh and Rajastan. We want at least one from each family become a member of a SHG,” he said.Inaugurating the ITC-ORMAS sponsored Agarbati making unit at Suanpal under Jashipur block to support livelihood creation in rural areas, he urged the SHGs to adopt professionalism in their work to bring radical changes in their lives and the society. “The women SHGs can play a vital role in strengthening the rural economy and transforming the villages,” he said.Jairam asserted that money would not be a constraint to enable women SHGs to work. He said all steps were being taken for imparting modern technical skills to the members of SHGs and asked the SHG members to take money from the banks and repay them in time. “We are trying to give more money to the SHGs and emphasis is given to market their products.”The Minister became a bit upset when he knew that the bamboo sticks used to make agarbatis here are imported from Vietnam and states like Tripura. He asked the ITC officials to take initiatives so that the bamboo sticks can be produced here and through the process employment can be generated. He said non-timber forest products especially cultivation and harvesting of bamboos should be handled by Gram Sabhas and not by the forest department. The minister also made field visits to inspect works under PMGSY and MGNREGA schemes.While interacting with the tribals at Tulasibani village Ramesh urged them to put up toilets and lead a healthy life. He was surprised to know the tribals here have TVs and cell phones, but no toilets.He assured the local Sarpanch Saraswati Kalundia to award her village as Nirmal gram and come to visit the village once again if she can put up toilets in all 130 households within a year. He also inaugurated a unit of perfuming and packaging of incensed sticks, marketed and managed by ITC Ltd and Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society at Angargadia in Balasore. The Union Minister hoped that the Mangaldeep agarbati would become no.1 within next four years if it was marketed properly.