Government has designs for women self help groups

VILLUPURAM: In an effort to enhance the quality of products manufactured by women self-help groups, the State Government has roped in the National Institute of Fashion Technology, said Commissioner, Town Panchayats, Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, Dr K Gopal.Speaking to this website's newspaper in Marakkanam, near Puducherry, on Wednesday he said the Government has decided to improve the articles and goods produced by women self-help groups and for the same the assistance of experts from NIFT was sought. Efforts will be made to improve the products quality. Nearly 3,000 women self help groups were formed in the town panchayats having a membership of 75,000 women. The Government has decided to form clusters amongst the groups and the products will be marketed through the network.He said the tsunami relief and rehabilitation activities undertaken in the tsunami affected town panchayats in five districts in the state will be completed before December 2008. The Government had sanctioned Rs 65 crore for livelihood enhancement programmes in 22 town panchayats in tsunami-affected Kancheepuram, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Kanyakumari and Villupuram districts. Similarly, the Government has allotted Rs 20 crore for providing basic infrastructure in habitations, occupied by tsunami rehabilitated persons.Gopal inspected the livelihood project works carried out by women self help groups in various places in the district on Wednesday.