Sambalpur: The state government has been implementing various income generation schemes through Self Help Groups (SHGs) in rural Odisha to make women of the state self-sufficient.
Women have been provided with financial assistance for doing businesses like handloom and farming among others.
In fact, 200 women of 19 Self Help Groups (SHGs) under Rengali block in Sambalpur district are benefiting from government projects that have given a whole new meaning to this otherwise labour-intensive, home-based work done by impoverished tribal women.
Forest officials of Rengali Forest Division have taken an initiative to provide income-generating work to members of 19 women SHGs in the block by giving them training on how to make leaf plates with sal leaves.
Sources said there are five villages in Sambalpur Reserve Forest under Rengali Forest Range like Gumloi, Jharnapali, Jhankarpali, Kadalipitha and Kusumdiha. The 19 SHGs comprise 200 women.
With the help of forest officials these women make leaf plates, leaf cups and three more items made from sal leaves.
After finishing their household work, the women go to forest for collecting sal leaves. Till afternoon they collect leaves and stitch them the next day into plates. Each SHG group makes between 1600-1800 plates every day.
After collecting leaves from jungle, they stitch plates at their homes. The 19 SHG groups are provided with stitching machines for making paper leaf items.
As women also help in making Odisha a plastic-free state, the forest department has been providing all types of help to SHG groups.
A machine to manufacture these leaf plates has been set up by the forest department on its office premises.
To make the plates strong, they use cardboards and adhesives while making the plates. The plates are dried the next day by which time trader and their agents come to their doorsteps.
The women sell each plate at Rs 3 to Rs 3.50 and earn Re1 profit from each plate. They purchase the cardboards and adhesives at high cost from outside the market which is hitting their margin.
The forest official said that in future we will train the women about the use blades of bamboo and making of gum from tamarind seeds to make the leaf plates and cups stronger.
Sources said the forest department had given training to 19 SHG groups by spending Rs 2 lakh. Stitching machines worth Rs 7 lakh were also provided to SHG groups.
Sambalpur DFO Sanjit Kumar Said that this programme has been implemented in Rengali range on a pilot basis.
“In future 300 SHGs will be included in this programme. The aim of the programme is to make tribal women self-sufficient,” added Sanjit.