CII to support SHGs for marketing rural products

Kolkata, Apr 10: Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has decided to provide infrastructural facilities to Self Help Groups (SHGs) for marketing their products as the number of such groups was surging rapidly to touch about 1.5 lakh soon.

CII and the West Bengal government today at a Rural Development Summit here discussed the SHGs' problems and their solutions of how to make them viable in the changed marketing situation.

CII (eastern region) chairman Ravi Poddar said there were huge marketing potentiality in the rural sectors and the CII would provide infrastuctural facilies in major fairs freely so that the products of the SHGs could be be displayed before the buyers.

Pricipal secretary of department of panchayat and rural development M N Roy said marketing and information were major hurdles for SHGs to make them viable.

He said presently there were about 1.47 lakh SHGs, largest number in the country, and the figure is likely to go up to 1.5 lakh soon.

Mr Roy said according to National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) date of 2000 West Bengal has about 40,000 families living (below poverty line) out of total 1.2 lakh families of six crore population. The BPL figure of the state was higher compared to other states of the country.

Mr Roy said the government would encourage industrialists to set up shopping malls for selling products of the SHGs. He said the government was encouraging the SHGs to form federations so that their goods could be channelised in larger way to thee buyers.

Currently there were about 14 federtions across the state.

UNI