Bandaru Dattatreya emphasis on branding of local products for Self Reliant India

Shimla : Governor Bandaru Dattatraya said that self-help groups, cooperative societies and Joint Liabilities Group should work towards branding their products which could help in becoming India self-reliant.On the occasion of International Cooperative Day, the Governor was interacting with the members of self-help groups and officials of Rural Development and Cooperation Department at Raj Bhavan, today. He said that self-reliant India aims for ‘local, vocal and global’ and under it, local products have to be promoted as a brand to give them a wider look. Stressing the need to produce the product according to the demand, he said when the production was according to the demand, the supply was done automatically. He asked the concerned departments to cooperate in this direction and help these groups. He added that SHGs need to be given online training for selling local products. He said that such groups should be given more financial assistance through NABARD and Khadi Village Industries. He urged the members of the groups to make more use of social networking.The Governor also urged them to work in the spirit of ‘my village and my society’, not individually.
He said the line department should market the products to the people of backward classes and tribal areas, for which they should explore the possibilities of selling products through shops in tourism areas. He said that today there was more demand for the product of natural farming for which transport and outlets in prime locations may be provided for them. He also stressed the need to connect cottage labour with Khadi and Village Industries.Shri Dattatraya asked the concerned departments to prepare more and more proposals and project reports and send them to Ministries of the Central Government so that these groups could get maximum grants. He expressed satisfaction that more than 18 lakh masks were produced during the Corona pandemic by various self-help groups.On this occasion, the group members shared their experiences with the Governor and apprised them of their problems.Rakesh Kanwar, Secretary to the Governor, R.S. Rathore and Ramesh Malta, Additional Registrar, Cooperative Department, Anil Sharma Joint Director, Rural Development Department, members of Self Help Group from Basantpur and Mashobra Division and other officers and members of Self Help Group were also present on the occasion.