Underdog agro self-help group to get its day

Formed in 2003 by the Department of Soil Conservation,the efforts of this small group — comprising mainly housewives — will now be acknowledged by none other than Punjab Chief Minister Parkas Singh Badal who will be visiting the group on July 26 to interact with the women entrepreneurs and expose them to national conglomerates dealing in agro-food products. Companies like Dabar and MDH will reportedly accompany Badal on the occasion.

It is learnt that Badal’s visit will result in the formation of Kandi Area Fruit and Herbal Processing which will comprise the SHG,Punjab Agricultural University (PAU),horticulture and agriculture department members and a factory spread over three acres. The project will be set up under the Backward Region Grant Fund with Rs 77 lakh in financial help by the government.

The women are engaged in processing of fruits,vegetables and herbs. They make pickles,chutneys, squashes,juices,preserve triphala and other products sold under the brand name of SSM — under a Fruit Product Order (FPO) number. The group has applied for registration of the unit under Food Safety and Standards 2006 (FSS Act) and sets up stalls in schools,colleges and fairs.

Manjit Kaur,a housewife,said: “I am not a group member but get regular employment from the group and can earn anything between Rs 3,500 to Rs 4,500 in a month. This is no small achievement as many of us have never even stepped out of our homes.

The total earning of the group is about Rs 2 lakh with a profit margin of Rs 80,000. Out of the profit,75 per cent is re-invested and 25 per cent is distributed among the members. The group has also provide employment to other women of the area who earn Rs 150 a day. The group has also helped in sensitising six more SGH.

Veena Sharma,president of the group said: “Struggling a lot in the initial years,the group is now comfortable and we are ready to step into a bigger market under guidance of the agriculture and horticulture departments. We created the group because we wanted to do something for our backward area,” she added.

The District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO) A S Bhullar informed that DC Hoshiarpur,Deepinder Singh,got the project prepared for the SHG,which is unique in the district.

“Presently the group can make around 40 kg of products daily,but it has huge potential as there is abundance of raw material in our area,” said Rakesh Sharma,a male member of the group,adding that their aim is to be as famous as the Lijjat Papar Group.

for securitymen,its sleepless nights

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s desire to stay in local temples and Gurudwaras instead of in government guest-houses during his five-day ‘thanks giving’ tour to Dasuya constituency in Hoshiarpur district has been giving sleepless nights to the chief minister’s security as well as the party leaders who are supposed to make arrangements for his safe stay. SAD-BJP won a landslide victory in Dasuya recently.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal will be conducting his Sangat darshan programmes in Talwara and Dasuya during his five-day tour. “We had made arrangements at local guests houses but after Badal’s wishes we are making arrangements in temples and Gurudwaras,said a party leader. “Badal wants to live like the common man,but his desire is consuming a lot of the energy of party leaders as well as other agencies,” said a party source.

Rs 15 cr in grants

Badal will reportedly distribute around Rs 15 crore in grants in Dasuya during his Sangat Darshan programmes for various development works. Sources said,Badal wants to present

Dasuya as a model constituency of the state.