Self-help groups set a role model to others in Anantapur

Kundurpi(Anantapur): The State government is encouraging self-help group (SHG) women for the establishment of brick making units dubbed as 'NirmithaKendras' for supplying bricks to weaker sections housing programme.

Every day, the Housing Corporation requires 5 lakh bricks for executing the construction of houses under the programme. About 45 SHG groups are presently operating in the district. Another 20 groups are in the process of formation for setting up brick making units.

Women SHGs in the district are emerging as mini-entrepreneurs, thanks to the State government’s policy to engage women groups in establishing brick-making units. Women groups in the district stand first in the State in the establishment of 45 brick making units.About 42 groups in the district are now running 45 brick-making units and earning handsome profits.

Each group is manufacturing 1,000 bricks per shift and about 4 lakh bricks by all the 45 units in a month. These bricks are supplied to State Housing Corporation for the execution of weaker sections housing programme. The brick-making units have tied up with NREGS wherein the women groups who also hold job cards at the village-level are paid wages under the NREGS programme.

The women who produce bricks sell them to Housing Corporation who in turn pay Rs18.20 per brick. Each women group consist of 10 members andproduce 100 bricks in shift a day and the group totally produce 1,000 bricks in a day.

Rajeshwari, a member of women group in Atmakur village, talking to The Hans India said that she is very happy to be part of an enterprise that contributes to building houses for poor. Trained by the DRDA and the Housing Corporation, Rajeshwari said that she considers herself as a partner in entrepreneurship that is manufacturing raw material for building houses including community halls, anganwadi buildings and other community and public assets set up under the aegis of government.

A beaming Rajeshwari says that she is a proud partner of a small-scale industry. Subbalakshmi, another SHG member and partner in the brickmaking unit, says the group can produce 30,000 bricks in a month and earning Rs5.40 lakh.

After setting aside some amount for capital investment in the unit for raw material like cement, each member can earn Rs10,000 which is a substantial amount for a family in rural economy.

DRDA Project Director Rama Rao told The Hans India that 45 Kendras producing substantial number of bricks in addition to NirmithaKendras set up by the Housing Corporation.

The SHG groups in the district have set up 45 brick making units compared to other districts in the state and set a role model for other women. More women are coming forward to establish brick-making units and supply bricks to even housing construction in other districts.

The units are mainly set up in Atmakur, Raptadu, Kalyandurg, Kambadur, Settur, Kundurpi, Rayadurg, DHirehal, Kanekal, Tadipatri, Puttaparthi and Penukondamandals. In 2017-18, the DRDA project director says that the units will be expanded substantially as women consider the running of units as a highly profitable.

By Ravi PBenjamin