Women in remote areas of J&K’s Rajouri get handicraft training under NRLM scheme

Rajouri (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], January 18 (ANI): In a step to empower women living in the far-flung areas of Kashmir, the government has started an initiative to provide skill-based training under UMEED NRLM (National Rural Livelihood Mission) scheme in J-K’s Rajouri district.

Under the initiative, the women are receiving training by working under Self Help Groups (SGH) in the Rajouri district for creating handicrafts like boxes, pen holders, tea coasters, baskets, purses, etc with Chir Pine tree remains. Local women, who have found means of livelihood, are overjoyed by receiving the training.

“We got this training in March 2020 under the NRLM scheme. This training is helping towards our upliftment. We are now making things from waste and earning a good amount of money. The demand for our products is also increasing,” said Reeta, a trainee.

Another trainee said that at first, they found the idea of this training bizarre as the remains of the Chir Pine tree is unusable, but are now they are earning a good amount of money by making the handicrafts out of them.

“Over the period of a year, we managed to earn Rs 50,000. We thank the government for providing us with the training,” Anuradha Bala said.
“We are planning to further train women to provide them a means of livelihood,” she added.

The SGHs under the NRLM scheme are running different types of self-employment units in the state like making slippers, dairy products, handicrafts, goat farming, vegetable production, tailoring, cold drink agency, medical shop and cosmetics.
The basic idea of this scheme is to reduce poverty among the rural population of Kashmir. The SGHs are also providing them with benefits of basic social security schemes of the government like the opening of bank accounts, Aadhar, insurance, Ayushman Bharat card, e-SHRAM card, Atal pension Yojana and others