Ministers open MepMa Bazar

Visakhapatnam: Minister for HRD Ganta Srinivasa Rao accompanied by Minister for Law, Youth, Sports Kollu Ravindra and Minister for Marketing, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Ch Adi Narayana Reddy inaugurated MEPMA Bazar set up on beach front to cater to the needs of the visitors here on Sunday. The concept of MEPMA Bazar is to provide a forum for the SHG members to market their products.

Highlights:

• As many as 30 self-help group women set up stalls in MEPMA Bazar to display and sell their products
• Self-help-group network is already strong in rural areas in making and selling their products and it is proposed to strengthen urban SHGs also on similar lines by MEPMA Bazar concept

As many as 30 self-help group women set up stalls in the MEPMA Bazar to display and sell their products ranging from bangles, kalamkari items, jute bags, banjara bags, sea shell products, ceramic painting products, tie and dye items, wax items, artificial jewellery and snacks.

Later, the Ministers interacted with the SHG women. On the occasion, Ganta Srinivasa Rao explained that the SHG network was already strong in rural areas in making and selling their products and it was proposed to strengthen urban SHGs also on similar lines by means of MEPMA Bazar concept.

There were 23,800 SHGs in GVMC limits with about 2.40 lakh members. Bank loans were given to them during 2016-17 to the tune of Rs 310 crore. The government is aiming to ensure Rs 10,000 per month income to every SHG member by 2022, the Minister said.

The government has decided to appoint a trained community resource person for every 60 SHGs. They would be appointed very soon, the Minister added.

The Minister directed the Commissioner, GVMC and Project Director, UCD, to set up more MEPMA Bazaars in different parts of the city on holidays.