Saturday, Apr 26, 2003
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Tamil Nadu
By Our Special Correspondent
Besides, District Collectors would be asked to provide free space in weekly markets for sale of the SHG-made products. With infrastructure created during the Swarnajayanthi Gram Swarozgar Yojana, women-run markets would also be organised in every district, the Minister said, replying to the debate on the demands for her department. Recognising the marketing problems faced by the SHGs and lack of information for expanding activities, the Government would prepare district-specific project proposals, taking into account the strengths of the groups and natural endowments of districts. To operationalise the marketing linkages for SHG products, an action plan would be drawn up for the current year. As on March 31 this year, about 80,000 SHGs were linked with bank credit on a total outlay of around Rs. 403 crores for various rural-based activities such as agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry and village industries. "The Government will support and motivate women to join SHGs and achieve the plan of covering 35 lakhs over next four years," the Minister said. Bringing under the fold of SHGs women in abject poverty, socio-economic empowerment of ST women and protection of tribals against exploitation by organising them into SHGs, and introduction of community health insurance schemes in select areas would be the focus areas in 2003-04. A comprehensive poverty-alleviation project would be implemented in Theni and Perambalur districts on an experimental basis. Women, living below the poverty line, in the two districts would be organised into SHGs and imparted training in entrepreneurship development and vocational skills.
Higher outlay for
cradle baby scheme
Announcing that the outlay for the cradle baby scheme would be stepped up from Rs. 5.7 lakhs to Rs. 40 lakhs, the Minister said this would enable better maintenance of children at reception centres. On a suggestion from H. Raja (BJP), Ms. Valarmathi said the Government would produce a film on the salient features of the cradle baby scheme. The practice of providing "sweet pongal" ("chakkarai pongal") to beneficiaries of the Nutritious Meal Programme on the birthday of the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, which was stopped during the previous DMK regime, would be revived now. Mr. Raja wanted the Government to take over a deaf and dumb school at Karaikudi, now under municipal control, and fill the vacancy, which would arise with the retirement soon of the only serving teacher. The Minister said Rs. 14 crores had been allotted in the current year for the girl child protection scheme and additionally, Rs. 6.17 crores for clearing pending applications. A Women's Development Report would be prepared annually to measure and evaluate the impact of the Government's pro-women policies and programmes. A questionnaire had been sent by the State Women's Commission to the Prison Department to collect data for preparing an exhaustive study of women prisoners in the State.
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