CUDDALORE: District Collector Rajendra Ratnoo on Saturday promised all help to self-help groups to enable them emerge as independent, professional entities.
SHGs should graduate from mere production units into well-knit entrepreneurial ventures and the district administration would act as a facilitator, he said. In this endeavour, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) would also be involved.
Addressing 14 SHGs producing sanitary napkins here on Saturday, Mr.Ratnoo said instead of working in random, the groups should form a federation to standardise their products, ensure quality and evolve a sustainable marketing strategy.
Success story
Citing the instance of Lijjat papad, Mr. Ratnoo said the product, started on a small scale, had grown into a big venture with an annual turnover of Rs.150 crore. The success of the federation depended upon two vital factors -- democratic set-up and professionalism. Instead of concentrating the works in few hands, the responsibility must be shared by all members.
Mr. Ratnoo viewed the sanitary napkin production as part of the total sanitation campaign. It paved the way for individual hygiene and scientific approach to women’s needs.
Stiff competition
The Collector said the CII would study the functioning of SHGs and provide technical know-how for improving their products and developing a common brand. The SHGs faced competition on two counts, price and quality. They had to compete with the established brands. Once the products were standardised and made cost-effective, these would certainly attract a good market.
Since discussions about sanitary napkins were a taboo, the SHG members ought to use their persuasive skills to market the products. He said incinerators had been put up in girls’ schools for disposal of napkins.
Cluster approach
Later, the Collector told reporters that cashew, footwear, ceramic articles, bakery items, garments and onions grown by the farmers in the tsunami-affected areas would be brought under a cluster approach.
Besides improving quality, the packaging aspect would also get adequate attention. The Collector further said after the formation of the SHGs, the non-governmental organisations should exit, allowing them to function on their own.
K. Megaraj, Project Officer, District Rural Development Agency; P. Ravikumar, Project Officer, Mahalir Thittam; and K. Manimaran, Lead Bank Manager, Indian Bank, participated.
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