Telangana beedi-rolling women become entrepreneurs.
Beedi rolling women in Telangana turn entrepreneurs. The six-member women’s association has successfully established a food processing unit, which was made possible by the encouragement and assistance of the Minister of Finance, T. Harish Rao.
SANGAREDDY: For rolling beedis or labouring in farms all day, they used to receive payments of Rs 200 to Rs 300. Even with their limited wages, they were unable to cover their basic living expenditures. However, today grins can be seen on their faces. It is because the bankers encouraged them to become producers and dealers, along with the initiative of State government officials and people’s representatives.
People who earlier worked as everyday labourers now deal in pulses. They have now organised into Srivalli Mahila Sangam in Mittapally hamlet in Siddipet district and are selling high-quality pulses while the market is saturated with inferior pulses.
The Mahila Sangham gathers unprocessed red, green, black, and Bengal gramme from nearby villages, refines it into fine pulses, and then sells it in the market.
The six-member women’s association has established and is successfully operating a food processing facility with the encouragement and cooperation of Finance Minister T Harish Rao.
Red gramme was initially transformed into pulses, which they then started to market. Up to Rs 2 lakh have already been saved by them. Mittapally village sarpanch Vanga Lakshmi made a donation of Rs. 1 lakh after being encouraged by their early accomplishment. Speaking with the bankers, Harish Rao was able to get the association a Rs. 10 lakh loan. From the total of Rs. 13 lakh, they spent Rs. 3 lakh for equipment, packing materials, and machinery for turning beans into pulses. The remaining funds were utilised to purchase red gramme from villagers’ farmers for Rs 5,800 per quintal. They started making purchases from the nearby communities as well.
Farmers now sell their produce in Mittapally rather than Siddipet to save on transportation costs. Srivalli Mahila Sangham, which produces and sells pulses, received a loan assistance of Rs 26 lakh from the bank in two installments, according to Lakshmi, president of the organisation.
“We have already paid back Rs 16 lakh. With the loan money, we are also purchasing raw supplies in addition to the machinery. We have purchased roughly 800 quintals of raw materials since we began the mill and turned them into 567 quintals of pulses,” she said.
Lakshmi claims that both the Siddipet market and Hyderabad have a sizable demand for the high-quality beans they produce.
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