Tata Power Co. Ltd, through its subsidiary Coastal Gujarat Power Ltd, has undertaken a community development programme, which includes setting up self-help groups (SHGs) and offering skill upgrade training for women, in the Mundra and Mandvi regions of Gujarat as part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Fishermen and women in Tunda Vandh, Modhva, Tragadi Bunder, Mota Kandagra, Nana Bhadiya, NaniKhakhar and MotiKhakhar villages are the main benefactors of this programme.
The first SHG was formed in Tunda Vandh village in 2008. Now, 45 SHGs have been formed across the seven villages of Mundra and Mandvi taluka of Kutch. More than 450 women are part of the SHGs and are community representatives in their villages.
The programme aims to help women enhance their living standard as well as their families’. It also reduces women’s dependency as well as gender prejudices among the community at large, the company said in a statement.
A special programme aimed at offering credit support through bank tie-ups to women to initiate their own ventures was also launched.
While 20 SHGs have got Rs 11 lakh as credit support from banks, others members are encouraged to deposit money in a special account at their nearest bank. Another 13 groups have successfully received loans worth Rs 50,000 and two groups have got loans worth Rs 1 lakh each from the District Rural Development Agency.
Till date, 25 groups have opened bank accounts and as on July 2013 had a cumulative savings of Rs 9.87 lakh. As part of the training programme, the company had taken at least 40 women to Tata Chemicals’ Mithapur plant in Gujarat and provided them a first-hand insight about the workings of SHGs in that area.
In other such familiarisation visits, the company took 32 women to the non-governmental organisation Nakhatrana Mahila Vikas Sangathan in the city and 30 women to Bhuj to provide them first-hand experience on handicrafts. The company also imparted agriculture-related training to 20 women.