India can't become superpower by neglecting women: Patil

Aurangabad, Maharashtra, Oct 13 (UNI) Union Minister of State for Rural Development Suryakanta Patil said India cannot become superpower if women, who are half of the population, continued to be neglected.

Speaking at the inauguration of the mega exhibition-cum-sale, a seven-day event of the women entrepreneurs, organised by the Aurangabad Centre of the Association of Women Entrepreneurs/Industrialists of Maharashtra (WIMA) here yesterday Ms Patil appreciated the role played by the women in the development of the country.

She criticised the people's narrow-minded approach towards the women entrepreneurs and advised them to change their perception and look at the progress achieved by the women entrepreneurs.

The Minister said the self-help groups, run by the women, had set up a great example of maintaining a loan recovery percentage at 99.9.

She said the Centre has been extending its support to the SHGs by organising exhibitions and rallies in order to create a marketing platform for their products.

MP Chandrakant Khaire and WIMA's chairperson Suchitra Kanade also spoke on the occasion.

Women entrepreneurs from the state as well as few from the other states such as Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have participated in the exhibit that would showcase their products.

The annual event, targetted at enhancing entrepreneurship skills among the women and to provide them a platform for marketing their products, has proved a success, inspiring over 50 women annually to begin their own business. The theme of this year's expo is ''Lifestyle and Handicraft''.

WIMA has organised various seminars during the event for the women entrepreneurs.

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