Chhattisgarh Women SHGs resume ready-to-eat manufacturing distribution

Raipur, Jul 10 (PTI) The Chhattisgarh government on Thursday resumed the process of giving ready-to-eat food manufacturing and distribution under the anti-malnutrition scheme to women Self Help Groups (SHGs).
During the day, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai handed over contract letters to 10 SHGs at a programme held in Raigarh for the production and distribution of ready-to-eat food, a government statement said.
The distribution of ready-to-fat nutritional food to women to children at all 2,709 Anganwadi centers in Raigarh district will now be carried out by women SHGs, it said..
"Fulfilling another key guarantee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi (BJP's Assembly poll promises), the state government has started reassigning the work of preparation and distribution of nutritional ready-to-eat food for Anganwadi centres to women SHGs. This task will initially be implemented as a pilot project in six districts. Raigarh has become the first district to be covered under this initiative," the CM said.
"The initiative will not only provide nutritious meals to children at Anganwadi centres but also generate income for women, empowering them economically. This initiative is a significant step toward promoting self-employment among women as well as their social and economic empowerment. Simultaneously, it will play a vital role in improving the nutritional status of children," he said.
In the last one-and-half years, most of the guarantees made by PM Mod have been fulfilled in the state, Sai asserted.
In his address, state Finance Minister OP Choudhary said the government has been constantly working to make women self-reliant.
In alignment with the national goal of creating three crore 'Lakhpati Didis', the Chhattisgarh government has been moving ahead in a planned manner, he said while urging the selected groups to ensure high-quality work and make this scheme a model for others.
The 10 SHGs in Raigarh will receive capital subsidies for setting up ready-to-eat production units under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme through the department of industries, the release said.
In 2009-10, the then Raman Singh-led BJP government had allocated the work of ready-to-eat food operation to women SHGs.
However, the previous Congress government in 2021 handed over the work to a joint venture called Chhattisgarh Agro Food Corporation Limited, which was set up with 26 percent share of the state's seed corporation and 74 percent share owned by a private firm.
The decision had sparked outrage with then opposition BJP alleging the state government of indulging in corruption and wanting to make women unemployed.
During the 2023 assembly election campaign, BJP had promised that if it is elected to power, the work will be handed back to SHGs.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)