Tamil Nadu - Nagapattinam   

SHG starts mobile phone service centre

Special Correspondent

IT IS A NEW VENTURE: A view of the mobile phone service centre opened by a woman self-help group in Velankanni on Friday.

Nagapattinam: A women self-help group belonging to fishermen community in the district has started a mobile phone service and sales centre in the coastal and pilgrimage town of Velankanni on Friday.

Members of the women SHGs in rural areas are usually trained to become fish vendors, tailors, to make pickles, sweets, handicrafts and roof concrete tiles blocks.

To make a quantum jump from this practice, `Mazhai Muthu Mariamman,' a women SHG in Velankanni was given special training by the People's Development Association, a Madurai-based NGO, in repairing and servicing mobile phones and sell new instruments.

The SHG has mobilised a financial support of Rs.30,000 from the Tsunami Emergence Assistance Programme (TEA) of Asian Development Bank with the facilitation of PDA.

The District Rural Development Agency came forward to provide space for opening a shop in its Poomalai shopping complex in Velankanni and the group started its centre on Friday.

Joe Velu, Director of PDA, who inaugurated the centre said that it is a part of PDA's tsunami reconstruction activity in the district. The PDA would extend technical and other assistance for similar initiatives by women SHGs.

Juliat Arputharaj, chairperson of Vailankanni Special Town Panchayat, inaugurated the first sale and Jacinta Joseph, executive director of PDA, inaugurated the centre.

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