Deepika Pandey Singh inaugurates ‘Palash Didi Cafe’ at Raksha Shakti University campus
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Ranchi, September 11: Jharkhand Rural Development, Rural Works and Panchayati Raj Minister Deepika Pandey Singh on Friday inaugurated…
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, September 11: Jharkhand Rural Development, Rural Works and Panchayati Raj Minister Deepika Pandey Singh on Friday inaugurated the ‘Palash Didi Cafe’ at the Raksha Shakti University campus in Ranchi, describing the initiative as an important platform for promoting the skills, dignity, self-employment and self-reliance of rural women.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said the cafe was not merely a destination for Jharkhand’s traditional, nutritious cuisine but also an initiative to recognise and promote the hard work and skills of women associated with self-help groups.
Focus on skills, loans and market access
Deepika Pandey Singh said rural women were first provided skill-based training, along with access to loans and financial assistance, and efforts were now being made to create sustainable self-employment opportunities by connecting their products and services with wider markets.
She said continuous efforts were being made through the ‘Palash’ initiative to provide local and traditional products made by women’s self-help groups with wider market access, better recognition and fair prices.
The Minister said the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) was working to ensure that products and food items prepared by women associated with Palash received priority at government events and in various institutions.
She said the government aimed to expand Palash Didi Cafes across Jharkhand so that more rural women could gain access to local employment and self-employment opportunities.
Palash Didi Cafe to promote Jharkhand’s traditional flavours
Describing the new cafe as another important link in the expansion of the Palash initiative, Deepika Pandey Singh said it would provide people an opportunity to experience the traditional flavours of Jharkhand while creating a platform for rural women to showcase their culinary skills and products to new consumers.
She said expanding Palash centres to state institutions, public spaces and other key locations would help rural women gain greater recognition for their products and open up new markets.
The initiative, she added, was aimed at taking Jharkhand’s local products from ‘local to global’.
Palash Mart to be launched in Ranchi
The Minister also announced the next phase of expansion of the Palash initiative through the proposed launch of ‘Palash Mart’.
She said the target was to inaugurate the first Palash Mart in Ranchi within the next six months. The mart is expected to provide a broader and more organised market for various local products prepared by women associated with self-help groups.
She also announced that the next Palash Didi Cafe would soon be launched at Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park.
The expansion of Palash Didi Cafes and Palash Marts is aimed at strengthening market linkages for products made by rural women and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities through self-help groups.
JSLPS CEO Ananya Mittal, IAS officer Anjali Yadav and other JSLPS officials were present on the occasion.
