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Journalism of Courage
With an aim to promote handicrafts and provide employment in rural areas,the state government is constructing marketing complexes in every block.
In the first phase,110 rural haats and urban haats have been set up in seven districts of Bundelkhand Jhansi,Hamirpur,Banda, Lalitpur,Chitrakoot,Mahoba and Jalaun.
Comprising six to ten shops each,these haats will not only provide the rural craftspersons a place to sell their products,but also provide a platform for regular workshops to help upgrade their designing and marketing skills.
The Union Ministry for Rural Development is providing the funds with an estimated budget of Rs 25 lakh for each haat. Each block will have one haat,for which the state will have to provide land.
In Jhansi,the rural haats have been constructed over 2,200 sq ft to 3,000 sq ft,while urban haats are smaller,at 1,800 square feet. The rural haats have 10 shops and a hall,while the urban ones have eight shops and small hall.
G P Gautam,the project director District Rural Development Authority (DRDA) Jhansi,said: We have already been providing financial support and training to people for self employment through the Centrally-funded Swarnjayanti Grameen Swarozgar Yojna. The products made are marketed through fairs organised across the country under the brand name Saras. The beneficiaries always found it difficult to sell their products in local markets. Hence the marketing complexes have been made where the products can be sold round the year.
In Jhansi,complexes have already been completed in villages Ghughava (at a cost of Rs 18.80 lakh),Gursarai (Rs 20.14 lakh),Pandwaha (Rs 15.01 lakh),and Babina (Rs 20.10 lakh). The remaining 11 complexes will also be completed within this month.
Gautam said: Two complexes have also been built in Lucknow and two in Sultanpur. But since the focus was on Bundelkhand,all the seven districts were taken up in the first phase.
The shops will be given at a minimal rent to beneficiaries. Gautam said: They can rent a whole shop alone or in a group. Women will be given a rebate.
The DRDA will also organise regular workshops on marketing techniques and design development at these complexes. We will invite experts to train the people so they can be the best in terms of design and compete with the demands of the market, Gautam said. The haats will become operational from April.
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