Development of Rural Areas not Possible without Economic Empowerment of Women,says BJP Minister Ranjit Dutta in Lakhimpur,Assam

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR, July 27: “The all-round development of rural areas is not possible until the economic empowerment of rural women is not ensured. So, our government has adopted various schemes and plans to have them involved in different productive works so that they can contribute to the rural economy by earning on their own. I appeal to the women of each and every village to avail the benefits of these schemes in order to bring in rural development in the true sense,” said State Handloom and Textile, Sericulture and Minority Development Affairs Minister Ranjit Dutta on Thursday while participating as the chief guest at an awareness meeting of Telahi Block Cluster Project approved by the Directorate of Handloom Development under the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.

The event was organized under the aegis of Subansiri Valley Regional Weavers and Artisans Samabai Samiti Limited (SVRWASSL) at the auditorium of Panigaon Pragati Sangha. Dutta said that the State Handloom and Textiles Department had taken up a lot of schemes with a view to empower the weavers of the rural areas. As part of these plans, an amount of Rs. 5,00,000 will be released to each LAC of the State through the MLAs very soon. Moreover, a project of establishing model villages in every district of the State under the department concerned has also been taken up. Initially two villages - one under Majuli LAC and the other under Moran LAC – have been selected for the pilot project of the scheme. He informed that yarn banks would also be set up in the districts to help the poor weavers purchase the yarn at mill price rate.

On the other hand, the minister added that the Telahi Block Cluster Project under the Central Government scheme would benefit a total of 1,045 weavers of the block. “Under this scheme, the selected weavers will be given training and new technology looms will be distributed to their groups. Using these looms, the weavers can enable themselves to produce more cloth than they do with their traditional one,” he stated further.

Participating in the programme, Lakhimpur LAC MLA Utpal Dutta and Director of Handloom and Textile, Bishnu Kamal Borah also highlighted various aspects of the Block Cluster Project. Kunja Bujar Baruah, the president of the SVRWASSL, delivered the welcome address in the programme which was organized under the management of Managing Director Ajay Bhagawati. ADC Debashish Baishya, district BJP President Phanidhar Baruah, AGP president Jiban Rajkhowa along with a host of eminent personalities, academicians and social activists were present in the programme.