Kumar Bahukhandi
‘Nari Shakti’ Women’s Group Earns Good money at Every Camp
Raipur: The camps organised under the ‘Sushasan Tihar’ (Good Governance Festival) initiative are serving as more than just a means to resolve public grievances and disseminate information about government schemes; they are also proving to be a powerful platform for self-employment and self-reliance for rural women.
The ‘Nari Shakti Mahila Samooh, Bastar’ (Nari Shakti Women’s Group, Bastar) is playing a highly commendable role in giving a new identity to Bastar’s traditional culture and unique culinary heritage.
At these ‘Sushasan Tihar’ camps—organised within the Bastar Development Block of Bastar District—the ‘Nari Shakti Mahila Samooh, Bastar’ is offering visiting villagers, officials, and employees the opportunity to savor delicious traditional delicacies.
The group is providing light refreshments as well as local specialties—such as Madiya Pej, Aamat, Tikhur Sharbat, and Urad Dal Bobo—at highly subsidized rates, items which are being immensely enjoyed by the people.
Earnings of ₹7,000 to ₹8,000 at Every Camp
Revati Netam, President of the ‘Nari Shakti Mahila Samooh’ based at the Bastar Development Block headquarters, stated that Bastar’s traditional dishes are witnessing consistently high sales volume at the ‘Sushasan Tihar’ camps. Expressing her delight, she noted that the group is generating business worth over ₹7,000 to ₹8,000 at each camp, resulting in a significant increase in the personal income of the women associated with the group.
Boosting Local Culture and Cuisine
Paro Baghel, Secretary of the ‘Nari Shakti Mahila Samooh,’ shared that while villagers are certainly relishing the taste of Bastar’s traditional dishes, the officials and employees deployed on duty at the camps are also partaking in them with great enthusiasm. People are profusely praising the unique flavors of these dishes, thereby providing a direct boost to our local culinary culture.
A Platform for Self-Reliance, Coupled with Skill
Bhagbatti Bhadre, a member of the group, along with other women, states that Sushasan Tihar (Good Governance Festival) has provided them with an excellent platform to showcase their skills and traditional culinary arts. This initiative is not only yielding economic benefits for them but is also giving a new identity to the rich food culture of Bastar.
Villagers visiting the camp, as well as local field staff, share this sentiment, believing that such grassroots efforts by the administration are proving to be a milestone—serving to preserve local products and traditional delicacies while simultaneously empowering rural women to become economically self-reliant.
