Rajkot, Oct 10 (IANS) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Saturday launched 136 Gram Haats at bus stations across 27 districts to expand market access for products made by women’s self-help groups, besides inaugurating a three-day Saras Mela and announcing a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening rural women’s livelihoods.

The Gram Haats, managed by Sakhi Mandals, are intended to provide women with dedicated outlets to sell handicrafts, homemade food products and other locally made goods.

The initiative is part of efforts to improve the income of rural women by connecting their products with wider markets.

Addressing a gathering at Race Course Ground in Rajkot, Patel said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision is to make women partners in development rather than merely beneficiaries of government schemes.

“Facilities had also been created at bus and railway stations to market products made by self-help groups, giving rural women greater opportunities to sell their goods and supporting the ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative,” he said.

He said reputed institutions, including the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), the Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA) and the Development of Women and Children in Urban Areas (DWCUA)-related institution referred to in the programme as DWII, would provide guidance and mentorship to women seeking to become successful digital entrepreneurs.

Patel said around 30 lakh rural women associated with 2.5 lakh Sakhi Mandals in Gujarat are earning income through their skills.

“The state government had provided Rs 800 crore in assistance last year to support women’s economic empowerment and is prepared to extend greater assistance in the coming years,” he added.

He said more than 8.5 lakh women in Gujarat had become Lakhpati Didis, referring to women who have achieved an annual household income of at least Rs one lakh through livelihood activities.

The Chief Minister inaugurated the Saras Mela at Race Course Ground and interacted with women participating in the event.

Members of self-help groups thanked the government for providing a platform to display and sell their products, saying “stalls had been allotted to them without rental charges”.

The Gujarat Livelihood Promotion Company (GLPC) signed 13 memorandums of understanding with organisations and departments to strengthen the marketing and sale of self-help group products.

The partners included the Railways, Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation, the Cooperation and Animal Husbandry departments, Amul, MICA, the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, NIFT, Sardar Patel Agricultural University and several banks.

Cash credit cheques worth Rs 45 lakh and Amul parlour allotment letters were distributed to self-help groups.

Groups engaged in dairy activities received cash credit cheques worth Rs 40 lakh, while other Sakhi Mandals received cheques totalling Rs 1,08,640 under an e-commerce incentive scheme.

Patel also allotted free residential plots to 139 families belonging to nomadic and denotified communities in Rajkot district.

The programme was attended by Rajkot Mayor Nehal Shukla, MP Parshottam Rupala, local legislators and officials from the state government and district administration.

–IANS

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