Jual Oram, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs inaugurated the “Conference on Empowerment of Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) & Organic Farmers Co-operatives from Dantewada, Bastar Region” at NITI Aayog, New Delhi today. The Conference was organised by NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India, TRIFED. Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, Shri Deepak Khandekar, Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Shri Pravir Krishna, CMD, TRIFED were present on the occasion. The team members of Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) & Organic Farmers Co-operatives from Dantewada, Bastar Region participated in the Conference.The Conference is a part of the visit of men and women entrepreneurs including representatives of Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) from Dantewada, Bastar Region to New Delhi to identify market opportunities for their products in urban areas. The participants shared their experiences of entrepreneurship and interacted with the Minister of Tribal Affairs and senior officers on the occasion.
Addressing on the occasion, Shri Jual Oram said that the Government is committed to the welfare of the Tribal people and many steps have been taken by his ministry in this regard. He hoped that the Conference will be helpful to them in identifying new market opportunities for the sale of their products in other parts of the country. He expressed his happiness that TRIFED under his ministry has opened 103 outlets all over the country for the sale of Tribal products. He encouraged the Tribal artisans and entrepreneurs to do new innovative things. He said that his Ministry is launching “Punch Tantra Collection” tomorrow which will include Punchtantra tribal artefacts including handlooms and handicrafts.In his address, Shri Amitabh Kant said that Dantewada, Bastar region has been developed a lot during the past few years and many Tribal people have done the very remarkable job of entrepreneurship. He said that the Tribal women are running Autos on roads, which is a unique initiative. The agriculture products and poultry products of Dantewada are of superb quality. It needs to be encouraged.Shri Deepak Khandekar in his address said that the proper marketing of Tribal products is very much necessary for their proper reach and sale and his ministry is trying for that.