Till yesterday they have been involved in making statues, pitchers and earthen toys to earn bread for family but now got an opportunity to propel their art and trade to next level with the help of Swarn Jayanti Shahari Rojgar Yojana that helped them to earn fairly well. Durga, Chhaya and Savitri Prajapati all of them are delighted with their new found success. Today they are not dependent, stood self reliant and become source of inspiration for others.
These women are residents of the Kumhar Mohalla in Bilaspur. As they all belong to the artisan’s family, involved in making pitchers, earthen toys etc, is their traditional occupation. But their respective financial positions would not permit them to buy power artisans wheels, dyeing machine and other tools required to give shape to the raw material.
They used to bring these machines on rent and would pay a larger chunk of their income on it, which often cost them more than two thousand five hundred rupees. Even to buy requisite dye for their products they would take loans and more than three thousand they used to pay as interest, this is how what they would earn through sales of their product, paying interest of loan would eat up a larger part of their earning by then.
They toil for money but circumstances around them kept their plight as standstill for years. While they come to know about the scheme ‘Swarn Jayanti Shahri Rojagar Yojana’ they contacted the Community Organiser Priti Bilson of District Urban Development Authority. Priti helped them, filled their applications and made them complete all the formalities needed.
Under this scheme Durga, Chhaya, Savitri and Bipta Prajapati have got loans amounts 50 thousand each from United Bank, in October 2012. Apart from it, each of them could get Grants of Rs.12, 500 also.
The group of women bought a dyeing machine for Rs 20,000. A Power Wheel for Rs 15,000 and bought colours in whole sale to save money what was being spent earlier on loan’s interest. This is how these women could propel their traditional occupation to the next level and attain viability. Now with the help of this scheme — ‘Swarn Jayanti Shahari Rojgar Yojana’ — they are earning Rs 7000-8000 to Rs 20,000 per month. Delighted with the augmented income they thanked the State Government for scheme helping women to make them Empowered.