Dwcra Bazaar provides marketing platform for SHG women to shine

Tirupati: Dwcra Bazaar at the sprawling Nehru Municipal High School in the city proving beneficial to both the sellers and buyers. Abhyudaya Grameena Dwcra Group (AGDG) with the state and Central government support set up the Dwcra Bazaar to provide a platform for the SHG women to market their products for their economic empowerment. The Bazaar which began on December 17 will remain till January 17 offering a wide range of products at one place. The array of products includes Handlooms, Kalamkari Pattu sarees, dress materials, home and kitchenware products, dry fruits, Rayalaseema special home foods, bamboo products, artifacts, handicrafts and toys from AP including Kondapalli are on sale.

Products of select SHGs from other states like Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Bengal, mostly saris, jewellery from Kashmir, Jaipur (Rajasthan), home decorative items from Bengaluru and Hyderabad are added attraction in the Bazaar for the buyers from the pilgrim city. Kanakamma from Jhansi Group, Srikalahasthi, who was selling Kondapalli toys, said the Bazaar is proving a boon to poor women like her as it facilitates sale of toys for enhancing her livelihood. "It is next to impossible for us to get a space in cities as it involves huge amounts as advance and rent and other expenses but the Dwcra Bazaar with required facilities provides an opportunity to sell our products," she said thanking AGDG.

Ramya from Machilipatnam, who was running a Kalamkari sarees stall, echoed same view seeking the government support to conduct more and more Dwcra Bazaars in the districts for SHG women to stand on their own feet. AGDG state committee member Kavitha from Vijayawada, said the month-long Bazaar in Tirupati is 153th being set by the committee in various places in the state benefitting about 10,000 SHG women families.

She is also running a food court in the Bazaar, making pizza, burger, chicken burger and cocktail, said the Bazaar concept also inducing women to become more competitive to improve business. Sravya, a home maker from the city, said the rates are cheaper and the wide range of products particularly food items are more useful for middle class families finding no time due to busy life to have varieties of tasty food items for children. AGDG president Devaki Devi said apart from space and electricity, basic facilities like drinking, toilets, restroom, food facility also being provided to those set up their stall in the bazaar while

exemption from the GST and other taxes saw the women sell their products at cheaper rate compared to market price. It is a win-win situation for the women entrepreneur and the buyer i.e. the general public, she said beamingly. The bazaar also offers entertainments like giant wheel etc for the children coming along with mothers for shopping, she added.