Rural marts to boost sale of goods made by women groups: Minister Virender Kanwar

Our Correspondent

UNA, JANUARY 15

Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Virender Kanwar today said rural marts were being set up along highways to provide marketing avenues for products being made by local women self-help groups (SHGs) and village artisans.

Kanwar said a beginning had been made in Una district where about 1,800 women SHGs were functional. These groups were manufacturing food items, such as pickles, poppadoms, vermicelli, jams, syrups, honey, jaggery and syrups using local agriculture products.

To bring the produce of all SHGs under one banner, the District Rural Development Agency had given a common brand name ‘Sombhadra’ to the products.

Attractive labels and packaging material had also been provided to the groups, said Kanwar. He added that during the past few months, items worth about Rs 5 lakh had hit the market. The department had provided food safety licences to the products under the brand name ‘Samarth’.

Kanwar said a few sale outlets had been opened in the district, while temporary outlets were set up by the department during fairs and festivals held across the state to boost the sales of rural products.

The minister said the aim of the government was to financially empower rural people by utilising their expertise in making domestic products. He added there was a proposal to open more rural mart hubs at tourist places.