LED unit lights up lives of tribal girls

Rampa Chodavaram (East Godavari): For 40 tribal girls of agency mandals of Maredumilli, Rampa Chodavaram, Devipatnam, Gangavaram, Addatheegala and Rajavommangi who completed Intermediate either in with BiPC or MPC life was uncertain. With their parents not allowing them to leave the agency area, these girls were crestfallen, until an LED manufacturing unit was set up changing their lives forever.

An LED manufacturing unit, a first-of-its-kind has been set up in an agency area in Rampa Chodavaram by Rampa Girijana Mahila Samaikya with the help of the ITDA. What makes it interesting is the Chief Executive Officer, a B Tech, Kollapureddy Veera Lakshmi, a tribal herself is leading the project. She said “The girls are trained for two months on aspects like project, soft skill, electrical and practical and they have started manufacturing LED bulbs, tube lights and street lights. The raw material is brought from Bengaluru.”

Spectrum Techvision, Bangalore is providing technical support and providing raw material for this unit. Executive technician, Veeranjaneya said that this unit has capacity to manufacture 4,000 bulbs in two shifts per day. He mentioned that this unit is being run with highest industrial standards and the quality of LED products is of high quality. He maintained that electro static discharge material like slippers, apron, wrist strap, mat, nose mask, cap and goggles are being used in the unit. He added that the students have responded well for the training.

Project Officer ITDA Rampa Chodavaram KVN Chakradhar Babu, the brain behind this mission took initiative for this project when a tribal B Tech graduate Veera Lakshmi approached him for employment. When Veera Lakshmi told him that there are about 40 girls who completed Intermediate and diploma have no employment, he decided to take up this project and gave training for the girl students at Youth Training Centre on solar panels and electrical.

Chakradhar Babu said that the ITDA released Rs 20 lakh for purchasing raw material by forming Rampa Girijana Mahila Samaikya. By taking the unit in business mode, he informed that Exim license has been also obtained to export the LED products. He informed that the target is to manufacture 1.20 lakh LED bulbs per one month. He maintained that margin for each LED bulb would be Rs 15 and Rs 1,500 for street light.

He explained that Mahila Samiakya could keep the profit after repaying the government investment in a phased manner and expand their unit as well as workforce. He said that Rs 6,000 would be paid for each employee in addition to the incentive based on the manufacturing of additional bulbs keeping zero wastage in mind.

With regard to the marketing facilities for the LED bulbs, the Project Officer said that these bulbs, tube lights and street lights would be supplied to schools, hostels and colleges in the ITDA limits, to all government offices and to all village panchayats. In addition, he explained that there is huge demand as the government has decided to supply two additional LED bulbs for each ST family under Tribal sub-plan and two bulbs to each house in the country.

Manideepika, tribal youth from Gangavaram is on cloud nine as she got employment in the agency area itself. She said, “Our Parents do not allow us to go outside for work and I am happy to get employment here in Rampa Chodavaram. I am very happy to support my parents who are daily labourers after completion of my Intermediate”. Mangathayaru, another tribal girl from Rampa Chodavaram mandal itself is happy to get employment in her native mandal. She said that she is very proud to support her parents.

By Samson Raj