Jalandhar November 20:
In an effort to empower women in Punjab, the state Cooperative Department will celebrate the coming year as Cooperative Women Empowerment Year.
During the year over one lakh women will be roped in under the Mai Bhago Scheme, claimed Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Punjab Cooperative minister. The minister was addressing a huge gathering on the sixth day of the Cooperative Week celebrations here today.
The minister disclosed that societies of self-help groups of women associated with the department would be provided loans on 2.75 per cent less interest as compared to other people under the scheme. He said out of 2.50 crore population of the state, 1.25 crore were women. Out of them, more than 35 lakh women would be brought under the Mai Bhago Scheme.
To make the cooperative move popular among common people, the department had decided to employ salaried motivators at the village level. He assured that marketing problems, being faced by self-help groups and societies associated with the Cooperative Department under the scheme for their products, would be taken care of.
To exhibit products at the national and international-level exhibition, the Punjab Cooperative Department would provide stalls to these societies on its expenses. The produces of these societies would be sold under a brand name “Pride” in English and “Gaurav” in Hindi and Punjabi.
The minister said till date, 9,500 women had been made members of 865 women societies under the Mai Bhago Scheme. Out of these members, 2,732 had been given a loan to the tune of Rs 805.32 lakh. Accompanied by officers of the department, Capt Kanwaljit earlier took a round of the exhibition and appreciated societies and self-help groups for their products.
Besides, releasing a book on Punjab Cooperative Act, the minister honoured certain groups and societies for their outstanding contribution in the cooperative sector.
In an effort to empower women in Punjab, the state Cooperative Department will celebrate the coming year as Cooperative Women Empowerment Year.
During the year over one lakh women will be roped in under the Mai Bhago Scheme, claimed Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Punjab Cooperative minister. The minister was addressing a huge gathering on the sixth day of the Cooperative Week celebrations here today.
The minister disclosed that societies of self-help groups of women associated with the department would be provided loans on 2.75 per cent less interest as compared to other people under the scheme. He said out of 2.50 crore population of the state, 1.25 crore were women. Out of them, more than 35 lakh women would be brought under the Mai Bhago Scheme.
To make the cooperative move popular among common people, the department had decided to employ salaried motivators at the village level. He assured that marketing problems, being faced by self-help groups and societies associated with the Cooperative Department under the scheme for their products, would be taken care of.
To exhibit products at the national and international-level exhibition, the Punjab Cooperative Department would provide stalls to these societies on its expenses. The produces of these societies would be sold under a brand name “Pride” in English and “Gaurav” in Hindi and Punjabi.
The minister said till date, 9,500 women had been made members of 865 women societies under the Mai Bhago Scheme. Out of these members, 2,732 had been given a loan to the tune of Rs 805.32 lakh. Accompanied by officers of the department, Capt Kanwaljit earlier took a round of the exhibition and appreciated societies and self-help groups for their products.
Besides, releasing a book on Punjab Cooperative Act, the minister honoured certain groups and societies for their outstanding contribution in the cooperative sector.
