Udhayanidhi Stalin’s contribution to The Story of Victory of Business Queens

One of the existing proverbs in Tamil language says that if we live together it will be beneficial in many ways. One of Bharathiyar's works (New Aathichudi) says, "work in tandem with each other". The Tamil Nadu government on its part is propagating to poor women the concept of working together and reaping together the benefits of joint work. A fitting example for this is the Vazhnthu Kattuvom scheme. Ever since Udhayanidhi Stalin was made the head of Department of Special Programme Implementation and Poverty Alleviation Programme & Rural Indebtedness, Tamil Nadu is experiencing its golden period.

Udhayanidhi Stalin assured the Legislative Assembly, the implementation of Micro Small enterprises funding scheme with an outlay of 50 crores and accordingly measures are being taken focusing the empowerment of women. The scheme was launched by CM Stalin recently along with the publishing of guidelines for assisting women self-help groups regarding how to receive loans under the scheme. Udhayanidhi Stalin had mentioned in his tweet about the intention to create women entrepreneurs in rural areas under Vazhnthu Kattuvom scheme and the assurance of implementation of Micro Small enterprises funding scheme.

As a first step in the ladder, 5.60 lakh loan amount was given to women from 10 self-help groups by CM Stalin. This stands testimony for the government's effort to make women financially independent and empowered. Apart from this, Udhayanidhi Stalin organised a program for the participation of different organisations in Tamil Nadu which functions under the Vazhnthu Kattuvom scheme. It includes organisations such as Sivagangai Velunachiyar Producer Company Limited, Theni Aghamalai Spices Farmer Producer Company Limited, Chengalpattu Farmers Producers Company Limited etc.

In the program organised by Udhayanidhi Stalin, loans were granted for several persons and the participants briefed him about their value added products. The main objective of the scheme is to abolish the intermediaries in the market. Regarding this, our team approached the women belonging to self-help groups.

Subashini Sridhar who is an executive officer in Valanadu Sustainable Agriculture Producer Company Limited said that they are engaged in the production and value addition of traditional paddy varieties from 700 farmers. Particularly rice varieties such as Karuppu Kavuni, Mappillai samba, Kichili samba, Seeraga samba are produced and value added for the purpose of selling as rice and as upma mix. Apart from this, other products such as palm tree products, cloth bags, jute bags and handmade products from water hyacinth are made by the women in the organisation. "In the initial stages, the company was functioning individually but after the Vazhnthu Kattuvom scheme approximately 600 women are being engaged in the manufacturing process which gave recognition to the company", said Subashini Sridhar.

The CEO of Srirangam Banana Farmer Producer Company Limited said that the company has around 1200 women members out of which 817 are shareholders. The company is producing fertiliser in collaboration with National Research Centre for Banana and it is making a turnover of 33 lakhs.

A woman representative of Krishnagiri Yetram Farmer Producer Company Limited said that the company is procuring tomato and after value addition selling it in the market as tomato paste.

The representative of Ranipet Kavinel Farmer Producer Company Limited said that the company was started with just 60 members and with an investment of 5 lakh taken as loan from the government. Earlier, the benefits of the work will be enjoyed by the intermediaries alone but after the formation of the company the benefits are realised by the workers.

The representative of Viluppuram Sankarabarani Farmer Producer Company Limited said that the oil extraction machine for the company was bought with the loan provided by the government. With the newly bought machine, now the company is extracting oil and selling them in the market directly which ensures higher income for the company.

The representative of Kanchipuram Vegavathi Farmer Producer Company Limited said that the government provided an initial loan of 5 lakhs and under Vazhnthu Kattuvom scheme again provided 10 lakhs, with which the company is cultivating groundnuts. The cultivated groundnuts are usually given to either an agent or a merchant. The profit gained from this way of selling the groundnuts was very low. So to tackle the problem all cultivators in the region joined hands and formed a company for which Valzhnthu Kattuvom scheme provided financial support. Now the company is selling the products directly in the market circumventing the involvement of middle-man and making a lot of profits. Earlier the cost of 1 sack of groundnut was Rs.4000 and now after value addition in the company the cost reaches up to Rs.6000 per sack.

Through its measures, the DMK government has made the opposition realise that true agri reforms include steps that increase the sale of agri-products by the means of value addition. The DMK government has made the entire country understand this simple concept through women.