The Hindu  04.11.2010

Sales disappointing at SHG exhibition

Staff Correspondent

VERY FEW TAKERS:The exhibition by women's self-help group did not elicit the expected response in Mangalore on Wednesday.

MANGALORE: Business is dull for the stall owners at the three-day exhibition organised by the Department of Women and Child Development Department and the Women Development Corporation. Several of the women from Sthri Shakti Sangathans and entrepreneurs told The Hindu that business was dull and there were “no people at all”.

Shanta R. of Shri Lakshmi self-help group, who sells 1 gm gold jewellery, said: “My business today was of only Rs. 20 since I got here at 1.30 p.m.” she said

New building

The Karnataka Women's Development Corporation (KWDC) would soon have a building of its own in Mangalore, said its president Sarojini Bharadwaj.

Ms. Bharadwaj, who inaugurated the exhibition, said the building would serve as a permanent space to market the products manufactured by Sthree Shakti groups and women entrepreneurs.

The Government had identified land for the purpose, she added.

The corporation did not have such a building of its own anywhere in the State, she said, and referred to the district in-charge Minister J. Krishna Palemar, who was present, added that it was possible if Ministers extended their support.

She said the B.S. Yeddyurappa Government in the State had sanctioned Rs. 48 crore, and Minister for Energy and Power Shobha Karandlaje had promised to sanction a grant of Rs. 100 crore.

Schemes

As many as 3,250 women had been benefited by various skill development and training programmes offered by the corporation at a cost of Rs. 235 lakh.