Malkangiri: The administration is preparing a special plan to boost women empowerment in Swabhiman Anchal of Malkangiri district. Zilla Parishad (ZP) chairperson Samari Tangulu held a special meeting on progress of Odisha Livelihood Mission (OLM) and other activities undertaken by self-help groups (SHGs) under Mission Shakti.
The ZP members took stock of the activities of the SHGs have become successful. They underscored the need for introducing new income generating avenues for women SHGs so that they will be self-sufficient.
In its endeavor to empower women in Swabhiman Anchal and make them self-reliant through entrepreneurship, Mission Shakti has been showing the path to SHGs here. Mission Shakti has transformed the lives of SHG members by helping them become agripreneurs.
With help from Mission Shakti, many SHGs have set up turmeric pulverization units. The entrepreneurturned-SHG members purchase raw turmeric from the local markets and subsequently sell the processed turmeric powder.
Negating the challenges of remoteness and being from the hilly areas, these industrious women have set a bright example of successful entrepreneurship. Furthermore, many women farmers have taken up this farming and earn about `40,000 on an average annually. Organic turmeric farming has widely spread in forested and hilly pockets like Jodamba, Panasput, Andirapalli, Jantri and Gajulumamudi panchayats.
Moreover, the horticulture department, the ITDA, OLM and Mission Shakti also promote this farming in the large interests of people, who have been suffering for lack of livelihood sources. Similarly, many other programmes are being launched in the Swabhiman Anchal to empower tribal women in the area. The ZP chairperson reiterated that the Chief Minister has always given priority to women empowerment. Government and local administration is trying to address their problems through simple and effective approach.
Worth mentioning, with a population of around 32,000, the Swabhiman Anchal got cut off from the district’s mainland in the 1960s following the construction of Machhkund reservoir and turned into a Maoist den.
But things started changing in 2018 following the inauguration of the Gurupriya bridge.
