Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday launched a series of initiatives focused on women empowerment, cooperative development and strengthening rural markets in Kollam, Keralam.
The initiatives were launched at the Pavithram Convention Centre in the presence of Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Tourism Suresh Gopi, along with other dignitaries and representatives of the cooperative sector.
HM Shah said empowering women through cooperation is one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s key objectives under the ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’ vision, as the prosperity of a woman strengthens the entire family.
“Our objective is to ensure that the benefits of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’ reach the rural and poor women of the country,” HM Shah said.
Over 300 She-Marts planned across three states
The Union Minister inaugurated ‘Vanitham She-Mart Shops’ and launched the sale of NCCF’s ‘Janah’ products. He said the She-Mart initiative would directly connect women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and rural women entrepreneurs with markets and consumers.
More than 300 She-Mart stores are planned across Keralam, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The outlets will sell local products as well as Bharat Brand products, giving farmers and women entrepreneurs access to consumers and helping them benefit across the value chain—from procurement and processing to branding, packaging and retail marketing.
HM Shah said institutions such as NAFED, Kendriya Bhandar and Amul would also help women-led enterprises expand their market reach.
He said Keralam was an appropriate place to launch the initiative because of its long and well-organised cooperative tradition. The state has more than 23,000 cooperative institutions, with the cooperative movement having deep roots in regions such as Travancore, Kochi and Malabar since the pre-Independence period.
Affordable food products and support for women farmers
HM Shah also highlighted initiatives aimed at making essential food products available to farmers and consumers. NAFED and NCCF mobile vans were flagged off to supply onions at a subsidised price of ₹35 per kg, along with Bharat Atta and Bharat Rice.
Under the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, free urad and gram seed kits were distributed to women farmers. Scholarships were also presented to daughters of registered farmers under the NAFED-Kalyan Scholarship Scheme, which covers nearly 2,000 families.
The Minister said around 8 lakh farmers are currently associated with NAFED, while nearly 6 lakh women farmers are associated with NCCF. Efforts would be made to expand these numbers further, he added.
MoUs exchanged for cooperative and market linkages
During the programme, an MoU was exchanged between NCCF and The Central Financial Credit and Investment Co-operative (India) Limited (CFCICI).
MoUs were also exchanged for supply-chain logistics integration of fisheries products of the Bharatiya Matsya Pravartak Sangham with NCCF’s ‘Janah’ brand, and between NCCF and Bharat Lajhna Sahakari Samiti for opening 300 She-Mart shops across Keralam, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
HM Shah also remotely inaugurated the Vanitham She-Mart Shops, developed through collaboration between NCCF and CFCICI, and launched the sale of Bharat Atta and Bharat Rice to women customers through the outlets.
Women’s labour force participation rises
Highlighting the government’s initiatives for women empowerment, HM Shah said women’s labour force participation had increased from around 23 per cent in 2017-18 to approximately 40 per cent.
He said nearly 36 crore women had been provided bank accounts and cited measures including the prohibition of Triple Talaq, enabling Muslim women to undertake Haj independently, and expanding opportunities for women in the Armed Forces.
HM Shah said more than 11,000 women officers are currently serving in the Indian Armed Forces, while the government has also provided for 26 weeks of maternity leave for women.
He said the target of creating nearly 3 crore Lakhpati Didis had been achieved before 2024, and the government now aims to increase the number to 6 crore by 2029.
Focus on Keralam’s cooperative potential
HM Shah said the establishment of the Ministry of Cooperation at the Centre had given fresh momentum to the cooperative sector and contributed to rural development, agriculture and women empowerment.
He said the Union Government would work to ensure that Keralam derived maximum benefit from central schemes, including those related to organic agriculture and other cooperative activities.
The Minister also highlighted Keralam’s potential in the Blue Economy, citing its long coastline, backwaters, rivers and maritime tradition. He said the fisheries sector offered opportunities across the value chain, including production, processing, packaging, branding and exports.
HM Shah called for greater coordination between the Centre and the state government to develop Keralam’s fisheries and marine sectors into major economic opportunities.
At the outset of his address, HM Shah extended his greetings to the people of Keralam on the journey from ‘Kerala’ to ‘Keralam’, and said the cooperative and rural sectors could play an important role in strengthening the state’s economy and creating greater opportunities for women and farmers.
