Trupti Canteens to Provide Employment for DWCRA Women

 Vijayawada: Municipal Administration and Urban Development department principal secretary S. Suresh Kumar said that the state government was taking significant steps to improve the economic conditions of impoverished women in the state and promote their self-reliance. Suresh Kumar, along with N. Tej Bharat, project director of MEPMA, and Vijayawada municipal commissioner H.M. Dhyanachandra, inaugurated the first Trupti Canteen at Panja Centre in One Town, Vijayawada on Saturday.

Suresh Kumar said that as part of the initiative, the government has launched Trupti Canteens to provide employment opportunities for the members of Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) groups. During the launch event, a loan cheque for `10,88,550 from Indian Overseas Bank was handed over to a group of DWCRA women managing the newly set-up canteen here.

He said that under the auspices of the Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal (MEPMA), the government has planned to set up about 750 Trupti Canteens across the state. Such canteens were already set up in Nellore, where DWCRA women reportedly earn between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000 daily. As part of the government's broader vision, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has set a target of training 30,000 women under MEPMA to become self-sustaining entrepreneurs, he said. There are 28 lakh DWCRA women in urban areas, and the government aims to enable each of them to earn over Rs 10 lakh annually, he added.

He stated that the total project cost, including GST, is Rs 14.51 lakh, with 75% of the investment contributed by DWCRA women and the remaining 25% through loans from the SARAS Agency. Income distribution would follow the same ratio, he said. Each canteen would be operated by a team of four women, and the government would provide a fully-equipped container unit.

Tej Bharat, Project Director of MEPMA, commented that the focus is on nurturing 30,000 DWCRA women into successful businesswomen, recognising the numerous opportunities available to women in the food sector. He affirmed that with the establishment of Trupti canteens, DWCRA women are set to embark on a new journey as enterprising business owners.

VMC Commissioner HM Dhyanchandra highlighted that there are currently 11 Anna canteens operating in the city, and the addition of Trupti canteens aligns to promote DWCRA women as entrepreneurs. He announced that two more Trupti canteens are also on the way.

GFX:

Making women self-reliant

About 750 Trupti Canteens are planned to be set up across the state under MEPMA.

Each canteen to be set up at Rs 14.51 lakh (75% funded by DWCRA women and 25% by SARAS Agency loans) and operated by 4-member DWCRA team.

DWCRA women in Nellore earn between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000 daily from the canteens.

Chief Minister has set a target to train 30,000 women to become entrepreneurs.

Objective to enable 28 lakh DWCRA women in urban areas to earn over Rs 10 lakh in yearly income.