Earning profits of thousands from income-generating activities
Raipur, March 17.
Women are now becoming financially independent in remote villages of Chhattisgarh and forest areas. They have started income-generating businesses that have given their lives a new way of living by using the ambitious plans of the Chhattisgarh government and as a result of this, they have gained financial clout.
After getting training and financial aid from NRLM in Kondagaon district, the women of the Jai Maa Bamleshwari self-help group of Mohlai village under Farsgaon development block are cultivating vegetables. According to Mrs. Phoolan Bai Pandey of the group, bitter gourd and chilli are grown on about two and a half acres of agricultural land. For this, the group received a low-interest loan of Rs.2 lakh through bank linkage under the scheme which is used for livelihood enhancement. So far, selling vegetables has earned them a net revenue of up to Rs 70,000. Women are also involved in fish farming, from which they have earned 70 thousand 800 rupees so far.
Aside from this, Maa Shitla self-help group of Gram Panchayat Hirri in Kondagaon’s Farsgaon block is active in fish farming. For this, the group got a loan of Rs 5 lakh at a low-interest rate under bank linkage scheme. Women have earned up to Rs 65 thousand in net profit by selling fish in local marketplaces while women of Suraj self-help group of Mode Gram Panchayat of Farsgaon block has started poultry farming on a small scale in December 2021. Women of the group have so far received a net income of Rs 65 thousand 300 from this business. Meanwhile, the women of Vasundhara self-help group of Gram Panchayat Korrabadgaon of Farasgaon village block have been running a grocery shop since April 2022, resulting in a net income of up to Rs 54,000 for the group.
The women of the group say that before joining the Bihan group, they all did domestic work as well as traditional farming. Following joining the Bihaan group, their lives have changed significantly; they are now all able to offer a good education for their children while also contributing to family expenditures. As a result, they are all quite happy and live their lives with pride because they are self-sufficient.
It is noteworthy, that state government has launched the State Rural Livelihood Mission Bihan with the goal of empowering self-reliant women living in rural areas by connecting them with work opportunities. Self-help groups are taught in skill development and financial empowerment to help women become self-sufficient.
