Port Blair, Mar 19: Unnati organized an awareness programme at Shoal Bay/ Kalatang on 16-03-2023 at 10AM in association with PRI with the support of NABARD for empowering women groups i.e. SHG, JLG and SHG Federation with the objective to make them more self reliant after availing various governmental assistance by forming women groups. Mr. A. R. Kumar Pradhan welcomed the participants and advised them to avail various capacity building and skill up-gradation programmes which are being implemented by Unnati with the support of NABARD. He mentioned Unnati with the support of NABARD conducted 02 training programmes on food processing and tailoring and fashion designing for training 43 women during the last 02 months. He thanked Unnati for giving preference to Shoal Bay Panchayat considering its poor economic status. He mentioned due to political interference, organizations are reluctant to work in our Panchayat which needs to be avoided. Development of villages should be above politics. He further said people should not bring politics into the development of the village. He requested the participants to clarify their doubts which are coming in the way of empowering women groups for which NABARD especially organizes such village level awareness programmes for SHG/ JLG through Unnati.
Mr. C. Mohammed President Unnati elaborately explained about women groups i.e. SHG, JLG and SHG Federation with special emphasis about advantages of groups which can address the basic need and requirement of groups of women who find it difficult to access such benefits individually besides the common groups of women will be in a better position to voice their needs and benefits. He further said collectiveness of a group brings with it collection of ideas, expenses, information and help to build a platform to address their problems. Now the Directorate of Rural Development started to form SHG Federation which is the right step in this direction. If SHG Federation trained about their role and exposure visit arranged and Federation start functioning as aimed many issues can be resolved locally like procurement of qualitative raw materials, marketing of products, resolve all conflict arising in member groups, federation be granter and arranger of money for groups, capacity building of member groups, timely sanction of loan. Thus, many works which now departments and NGOs are doing can be taken over by the Federation and outside interferences and unnecessary restrictions could be reduced at minimal.
During interaction the participants raised the following issues:-
Arrangement of capacity building programme to start self employment activities on locally available raw materials bamboo craft, food processing on marine and coconut based products, soil testing for taking floriculture and arrangement of packing materials for food processing items, development of grazing land for rearing cattle, ensure supply of poultry feeds as was arranged by SHG at Shoal Bay to all poultry farmers including animal husbandry department, timely supply of fingerling/ fish seeds for inland fishing.
President Unnati clarified the points raised and said that the federation now being made need to be strengthened with training, exposure visits under a time bound programme then many of the issues now being raised can be resolved locally. In the meantime, Pradhan may invite Department officials in Panchayat or Gram Sabha meetings to enlighten them about various self employment programmes. President Unnati also said that there is urgent need to implement convergence projects of GOI i.e. PRI-CBO and PRI and SHG by the Directorate of Rural Development to work in tandem and refinance each other’s works which also reduce conflicts going on due to misunderstanding between Panchayat SHGs.
President Unnati thanked participants and Panchayat for their active participation. A vote of thanks was given by Mr. Francis Samiti member Shoal Bay Panchayat.
