Southern States - Karnataka   

SHGs' role in empowering women lauded

By Our Staff Correspondent

BELGAUM JULY 12. "Given an opportunity, women, who are considered weak, will prove their worth," the Minister for Women and Child Welfare, Motamma, has said.

Addressing a gathering of women volunteers after inaugurating a divisional-level seminar on the Stree Shakti programme at Nehru Stadium here today, the minister said the huge gathering, which included more than 20,000 volunteers from Bijapur, Bagalkot, and Belgaum districts, indicated a change in the socio-economic status of women all over the State.

Observing that the programme helped build self-confidence among women, she stressed the need to spread awareness about law to ensure protection for women and to thwart gender-based discrimination. She also appealed to parents not to discriminate against the girl child.

Thanking the Chief Minister, S.M.Krishna, for initiating the scheme which had brought about a transformation in the lives of the women at the grassroots level, she said the Government had increased the "gift money" from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 20,000 to self-help groups (SHGs) during the current year. The Government had also earmarked Rs. 50 crore as working capital for the SHGs in the budget, she said.

The Agriculture Minister, V.S. Koujalgi, who is also the district in-charge, said the women of Belgaum had shown great courage against injustice and exploitation.

The first woman freedom fighter, Rani Kittur Chennamma, was from the district and she continued to be a source of inspiration.

Agreeing that small civil construction works undertaken by women labourers were of better quality, he said he had issued an official order to allot construction of check dams to the SHGs and asked the latter to take advantage of the same.

Earlier, he inaugurated an exhibition of home-made articles.

Prakash Hukkeri, MLA, submitted a memorandum urging the Government to sanction Rs. 50 crore to the Backward Classes and Minorities Commission to reach the benefits of government schemes to more people.

Earlier, Panchamukhi of the Self-Employment Training Institute, Bagalkot, gave a lecture on the benefits of savings by the SHGs.

The Deputy Commissioner, B.S.Palaksha, who welcomed the gathering, said the SHGs in the district had a net saving of Rs.6.10 crore, which was half of the total saving of Rs.12 crore in Belgaum, Bijapur, and Bagalkot.

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