SHG women run kirana shops with DRDA support

Anantapur: District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) has conceived a scheme to help kirana traders, who are members of Self Help Groups (SHGs) to sell healthy and quality commodities and goods in villages and boost their business volume by selling them at fair prices and making reasonable profits.

The DRDA hit upon an idea to help set up a central market at mandal level for supplying quality essential commodities to the village level kirana shops at fair prices.

The DRDA invested Rs 10 lakh to the central market run by DWCRA women and asked every member of DWCRA groups to invest a share capital of Rs 5,000 each and thereby procure goods and commodities from multinational companies including ITC and Wipro etc and other wholesale kirana merchants thus ensuring quality, healthy and at wholesale prices so that the central market, retail shops at village level and even the consumers are all benefited by sharing profits equally.

This arrangement had given a big boost to the retail village level business and even increased the volume of business. Thus, inducing all villagers to shop in the DWCRA kirana shops in all villages. DRDA Project Director (PD) Rama Rao talking to 'The Hans India' says 32 villages had been identified in Gooty mandal for implementing the pilot project and 44 women had been selected under the project.
This apart, DWCRA women products including paper plates, soaps, Ragi Malt and other products were being procured by the central market, in turn, supply the same to MNC companies by tie-up with them. Women are now so happy that everything including procuring commodities and selling them are all done hassle-free with no outside interference or fear of losing business or supplies from big traders.

Kanthamma Naik and Nethamma, ST women traders from Basinapalle Thanda speaking to 'The Hans India' at their tribal hamlet said that with the central market supplying branded items at fair and wholesale prices and the quality being excellent, the volume of business has increased due to the hand holding of us by the DRDA. Every day, she says she is registering a business of Rs 3,000 to 4,000. She stated that the central market had supplied goods worth Rs 90,000 to her.

In January 2018, she earned Rs 5,849; Rs 2,497 in February; Rs 29,678 in March and Rs 52,718 in April. The figures suggest a gradual increase in business. She says that apart from the essential commodities, she also sells eggs, milk and even millets. The 44 women in Gooty mandal have similar success stories to share. DRDA PO says that with the success in Gooty mandal steps are being taken to expand to 12 more mandals in the district including Nallamada, Uravakonda, Gudibanda and Shinganamala etc.

BY Ravi P Benjamin