Date:30/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/06/30/stories/2007063057980200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

Competitions for them

Staff Reporter

MADURAI: Self-help group members often involve themselves in various training programmes to enhance their entrepreneurial skills and gain economic empowerment.

To provide space for them to exhibit their individual and group skills, for the first time, the Mahalir Thittam of Tamil Nadu Women Development Corporation has set the stage. “The objective of organising competitions for SHGs is to strengthen unity and nurture team spirit among group members, besides providing a platform for them to exhibit their skills,” said the Mahalir Thittam Project Officer, P.M. Chandrakassan.

Competitions will be conducted in four events — debate, oratory, singing, group dance and kolam. They will be organised at two levels — block and district.

Block-level competitions will be conducted in November and December and the district-level events held during ‘Samathuva Pongal’ celebrations in January 2008.

Winners will get Rs.10000 as cash prize at the block-level and the first three prizes at the district-level will be Rs.5000, Rs.3000 and Rs.2000 for each competition. On the whole, prizes worth Rs.1.60 crore will be distributed to winners at all levels.

He said that the Mahalir Thittam would use the service of girl students of colleges and polytechnic colleges in conducting the competitions.