Har Ghar Tiranga: Tribal villages get order for 5.5 lakh bamboo sticks to carry national flag

New Delhi, Aug 06: Members of women self-help groups (SHGs) from a few tribal villages in Gujarat's Tapi district have been roped in to make a total of 5.5 lakh bamboo sticks to carry tricolours as part of the central government's 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign, an official said on Saturday.

These SHGs have been given this task under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) and the bamboo sticks will be supplied to around nine districts that have placed the orders, Tapi District Development Officer (DDO) Dinesh Kapadia said.

''The women SHGS from around eight tribal villages in Vyara taluka of Tapi have been given this opportunity to contribute to the campaign,'' he said.

''A large number of sticks to carry tricolours are being made by the women members of 'sakhi mandali' (SHGs). When I first met them and shared my idea, they accepted it with great enthusiasm. They have taken up the task of making around 5.5 lakh bamboo sticks with great pride,'' Kapadia said.

Demand for sticks has been placed from eight to nine districts in the state for the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign, he said.

''Within two days, these sticks will be supplied to the districts from where the demand has come. The cost of each stick has been fixed at Rs 4/Rs 5. This will help women earn livelihood. More than that, this is a job that the members have undertaken with great pride,'' Kapadia said.

Funds of Rs 8 lakh were approved for the raw material through the Gujarat Livelihood Promotion Company (Mission Mangalam), the state government's implementing agency for the NRLM, he said.

The district authority has also roped in members of 10 different SHGs to distribute tricolours in the villages in the taluka for the campaign, the DDO added.

The NRLM is a project of the Union Rural Development Ministry aimed at addressing rural poverty. 'Har Ghar Tiranga' is a campaign under the aegis of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' to encourage people to hoist national flag between August 13-15 to mark the 75th anniversary of India's independence.