PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said that the businesses operated by rural women through self-help groups (SHGs) in Goa had seen over Rs 450-crore rolling in this very localised and rural economy.
“The State already has about 3,000 ‘lakhpati didis’ and we expect this figure to touch 8,000 very soon,” Sawant said.
He was replying to the concerns raised by members over inadequate support to these rural entrepreneurial women, including technical support and hand-holding on the marketing side during a discussion on the calling attention motion moved by Siolim MLA, Delilah Lobo.
Sawant admitted that the government had not been very successful in creating strong and permanent market places for these women but insisted that his government had done well in assisting them through various schemes and also providing training through GIPARD, NABARD and even using the services of non-government agencies.
Earlier Lobo, while moving the calling attention motion, had sought clarification from the government whether it had a regular mechanism to monitor the functioning, activities and performance of these SHGs.
Lobo had also asked whether the government periodically assesses their efficiency
and outcomes besides seeking to know if platforms, markets, exhibitions, procurement opportunities and other avenues are being provided to them to make them self-reliant.
The government also faced flak on the issue from Opposition members who alleged that it was only holding expensive events in the garb of promoting local entrepreneurs and helping women organised under the SHG ecosystem but giving little direct assistance or guidance to them.
Leader of the Opposition, Yuri Alemao, also raised the issue of the government delaying payments to these SHGs.
He recalled that the Education Department alone had admitted through replies in the assembly that there was backlog of up to nine months in disbursing payments due to the SHGs involved in cooking and serving mid-day meals in schools.
He also demanded that the government revise the archaic rates alleging that these SHGs were paid meagre amounts for 100 and 150-gram meals per child.
