Taking a managerial step to empower rural women of Jharkhand, State Government is mulling to impart knowledge on financial management to these ladies. On Wednesday morning, State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD) Director RP Singh had a conversation with Chief Secretary RS Sharma related to this plan.
“Chairman of Skoch group Sameer Kochhar who is presently accompanying Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh in his ongoing Ranchi tour has expressed his concern to empower rural women on financial management,” Singh told The Pioneer on the sidelines of 59th SIRD Foundation Day celebrations.
He further added, “Women residing in villages across the state will be taught how to invest and manage their money on government based projects carried out for the sake of rural welfare such as MNREGA. Also, they will learn the techniques of saving their money in various insurance schemes.” The unique programme is likely to begin by coming December-January with the coordination of reputed Industries.
“Focusing on this financial management, we being a rural agency will begin with a programme of three days wherein a group of 40 women from Panchayati Raj Institutions and Self Help Groups will be trained as Master trainers who in return will train thousands of rural women living in blocks and districts,” said Singh.
However, the venue for this special training has not been fixed yet. Since the plan would be covering women of all the villages, SIRD will either organize the programme at its residential centres established in the districts or at its campus in the state capital. Apart from this, SIRD is looking forward to work for Comprehensive Panchayat Plan of Jharkhand which has never been framed in the next three months with the collaboration of Department of Planning and Panchayati Raj.
Notably, the Jharkhand Panchayat Women Resource Centre (JPWRC) established at SIRD for past 15 months in collaboration with UNICEF, Jharkhand State Commission for Women and Manthan Yuva Sansthan has taken effective steps in implementating several government schemes at most of the panchayats in the state with the help of women representatives. As many as 29 such panchayat women representatives were felicitated by Development Commissioner AK Sarkar for their outstanding efforts in encouraging their natives to abide various government programmes during the foundation day celebration.
Sarkar informed that the state government trying to boost up the skills of panchayat women by connecting them with health and agriculture sectors.