In a bid to strengthen the financial condition of the villages, we must find markets for the village products. To compete with the equipment-based products, we will have to enhance our hand-based work”, said Chief Minister Harish Rawat while inaugurating a workshop at FRI under Integrated livelihood Support Project on ‘Towards Self Reliance’.
“Self Help Groups (SHG) and producer groups will have to work in tandem to find such markets on a priority. We should consider IFed’s phase two as the last opportunity for us to revive our villages’ financial condition,” the CM said. “It should be ensured that people being linked to Integrated livelihood Support Project must be good managers themselves. It is our objective to make the SHG operating in hilly areas capable so that they can become self- reliant and can keep themselves erect even after the project ends,” he further stated
The CM stated that a host of schemes had been implemented in the past. “We will have to learn from our mistakes of the past and see to it that we do not commit them again. The Government will extend support towards developing market link for such organisations. Hill products will have to be developed to help them attune to the current demands. The SHGs must be provided with opportunities to display their products in fairs at Kedarnath, Badrinath and other important pilgrim sites as per their demand and convenience.”
The CM directed the Chief Secretary to firm up a comprehensive project plan for distribution of village and hill products. The State’s handicraft will have to be given an organised image. There is no shortage of funds for projects such as Jalagam, IFed and JICA. These projects will have relevance only if they improve the financial condition of villages or boost the livelihood of villagers.
later, he visited all the stalls where village and hill products were displayed and talked with the stalls’ representatives as well. He also released three training modules as well as a a project website. Present in the meeting were MlA Harbans Kapoor, MlA Ganesh Godiyal, Chief Project Director Vijay Kumar and representatives from several self -help groups.