Itanagar, Jan 14, 2025, IANS

Itanagar, Jan 14 (IANS) Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday said that currently, state Self Help Groups (SHGs) and federations collectively manage a corpus pool of about Rs 300 crore, which, he said, is a testament to the scale and impact of the collective effort within small but difficult terrains of the state. While addressing the SARAS fair here, the Chief Minister expressed happiness that the effort towards making SHG members into Lakhpati households is flowing down in a systemic manner. He said that in the first phase of the certification, Arunachal has been able to certify over 1600 ‘Lakhpati Didis’ in the state. “This success is a result of their hard work, resilience, and diversified livelihood activities, such as agriculture, horticulture, livestock farming, and small enterprises,” Khandu said while appreciating the dedication of the Arunachal State Rural Livelihood Mission (ArSRLM) officials engaged in handholding the SHGs. The Chief Minister said that 29,000 potential SHG members were identified whose capacity building has started so as to make them ‘Lakhpati Didi’. These individual and collective achievements reflect the power of unity and the entrepreneurial spirit of our women, he said, adding that this fair is in line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been promoting the concept of “Vocal for Local” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat”. “India will develop when the North East develops. North East will develop when Arunachal develops. Arunachal will develop when its villages develop. Villages will develop when women of the villages develop,” the Chief Minister observed. The SARAS Fair, organised annually by the state government, is a bridge connecting talented rural artisans with national and international markets. The Fair serves as a platform to showcase the rich cultural heritage, handicrafts, handlooms, and organic products of villages while also promoting sustainable livelihoods, where SHGs from across the state put up their products for display and sale. Khandu reiterated that the state government is committed to empowering the SHGs by providing them with access to training, credit, and market linkages. “Their participation in the SARAS Fair is a reflection of their aspirations and achievements, and I take this opportunity to salute their indomitable spirit,” he said. On the occasion, the Chief Minister launched the Handloom, Handicraft, Crochet, Knitting and Embroidery Cluster Initiative under ArSRLM to support rural artisans engaged in weaving, crochet, knitting, embroidery, and handicrafts. Under this initiative, Master Trainers will be developed across the state through specialised Design Development Training programs. To further strengthen these clusters, each unit will receive seed capital support of Rs 2 lakh per cluster. This initiative aims to enhance skills of rural artisans by providing them with advanced training and design expertise, support sustainable livelihoods and create income-generating opportunities for women and marginalised communities and preserve and promote the traditional arts and crafts of Arunachal Pradesh while integrating them with contemporary market demands. Khandu informed that to provide market links to farmers, the state government, through the state marketing board, has signed agreements with the Indian Army and ITBP posted in Arunachal Pradesh for supply of fresh vegetables, fruits and other food products. He said that as the system gets smoothened and well-oiled, this would become a huge marketing place for locally produced products. SHGs from Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Goa and Jharkhand are also participating in the SARAS Fair.