Zilla Parishad chief urges women to become self-reliant through business

Women should not limit themselves to financial transactions through savings groups, but should stand on their own feet by starting industries, businesses and creating employment. This appeal was made by Zilla Parishad president Laykaram Bhendarkar. He advised women to become financially capable by taking advantage of various government schemes and opportunities.

The programme was held at Gurukripa Lawns in Goregaon. It marked the 17th annual general body meeting of the Tejaswini Lok Sanchalit Sadhan Kendra, Goregaon, run under the "Navtejaswini Maharashtra Rural Women Enterprise Development Project" being implemented by the Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal, Gondia. The event was inaugurated by Laykaram Bhendarkar, who guided the women present on the occasion.

Speaking with the women present at the programme, Bhendarkar took information about the various schemes being run through the Tejaswini Lok Sanchalit Sadhan Kendra. He appealed to them to make proper use of the various government schemes and opportunities available for women's empowerment, economic self-reliance, self-employment and promoting entrepreneurship among rural women.

Bhendarkar said rural women have an abundance of capacity for hard work, determination and resourcefulness. He said that if this capacity is given the right training, market access and financial support, women can make an important contribution to the economic progress of their families as well as the economic development of the village and surrounding areas. He made clear that the economic strength built through women's savings groups is not just a force for family development but also a major force for social change.

Bhendarkar said women should come together and move forward to build a new identity for themselves as self-reliant, capable and enterprising women. He also wished that efforts should be made to bring more and more women into the stream of industry, business and employment through the Tejaswini Lok Sanchalit Sadhan Kendra.

Present at the programme were CMRC president Nalina Dongre, Panchayat Samiti Goregaon chairperson Chitralekha Chaudhary, Zilla Parishad member Hanwant Watti, MAVIM district coordination officer Pradeep Kathole, former deputy sarpanch Ravikant Tarone, social worker Savita Bedarkar, agriculture officer Lalan Rajput, corporator Sushma Agale, former chairperson Aarti Chavan, CMRC secretary Tejeswari Chauragade, assistant commissioner of the animal husbandry department Girish Gabhane, Prashant Meshram of the health department, CMRC manager Yogita Raut, along with Geeta Khandait, Laxmi Thakur, Nandini Chachere, Maya Kalsarpe, Rekha Shivankar, Lata Bhoyar, Seema Rahangdale, Lalita Lataiya, Gurvatai and other dignitaries.