Agartala, Dec 14: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Saturday said that economic upliftment of rural women and to make them economically self-reliant are the priority sectors of the state government.
Inaugurating the 19th Regional SARAS Fair-2024, the Chief Minister said that 4.73 lakh rural women under 52,000 Self Help Groups (SHGs) across Tripura became successful entrepreneurs. “These 4.73 lakh rural women successfully not only managed their livelihood, but also have been contributing a lot in the rural economy of the state,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that various banks have provided Rs 1,414 crore loan to the SHGs to improve their business activities and increase quality production. Highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative, Saha said that earlier this year Matabari ‘Peda’, a milk-based sweet, and tribals’ traditional attire ‘Risha’, have got the coveted Geographical Indication (GI) registration, commonly known as the GI tag.
“Getting GI tags of Tripura’s two important products prove the skills of artisans and craftspeople. SARAS Fair not only organises to sell products of the rural people but also to showcase the rural people’s skill, enterprising ability and potentiality,” he pointed out.
To provide all types of protection to the SHG members, they have been covered under various insurance schemes including, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana. “Interaction during the 13-day long fair among the experts, artisans, SHG members and other stakeholders would further improve the products currently produced by the rural people,” the Chief Minister stated.
He said that the state government has provided Rs 70 crore to the SHGs as revolving fund and Rs 626 crore provided as community investment to make the rural people self-reliant. Saha said that in the SARAS Fair in 2022-23, products worth over Rs 1.5 crore sold and in 2023-24, products valued at over Rs 4.5 crore sold.
Tripura Rural Livelihood Mission (TRLM) under the Rural Development Department has organised the Regional SARAS Fair-2024 in which over 400 stalls were set up to sell various products produced by the rural people.
IANS