Following an announcement of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to channelise Government business of Rs 5,000 crore through Women Self-Help Groups (WSHGs) in five years, the Department of Mission Shkati has recorded an achievement of 71.67% of the target in the first two years.
The actual Government business through the WSHGs has reached Rs 3,583.84 crore in 2019-20 and 2020-21. This was known at a high-level review meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra here wherein Mission Shakti Secretary Sujata Kartikeyan presented the updates for discussion.
The Chief Secretary directed to explore new areas of partnership with WSHGs involving more number of groups. He also directed to explore new projects in micro food processing, primary healthcare, pisciculture in GP tanks, poultry, commercial vegetable cultivation, nursery raising in forest and environment department, plantation, millet based products, agri-entrepreneurship, supply of food items and vegetables to the Ashram Vidyalayas, supervision of pipe water supply schemes and management of the nature camps, etc.
The DISCOMs were asked to engage more WSHGs in meter reading and bill collection. The possibilities of engaging WSHGs as diet supplier to the patients in CHCs and PHCs, creation of agri-nutri garden, setting up of the compost pit, Jalsaathis, Swachhasaathis, etc., were also discussed. The Chief Secretary directed different departments to identify more areas for WSHGs by leveraging their schemes and projects.
It was decided that a Mission Shakti Bazar would be set up in campus of the State Institute of Rural Development, Bhubaneswar with its opening to the roadside to create a year-round sales point for WSHG products.
The Chief Secretary directed to explore the possibilities of opening more such counters at other conspicuous places.
The SHGs were mostly provided the Government business through the Departments of Women and Child Development, Energy, Fisheries and Animal Resource Development, Health and Family Welfare, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, School and Mass Education, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment, Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste Development, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water and Handloom, Handicraft and Textiles.