The Rural Haat will act as a marketing platform for farmers to sell their agricultural and horticulture produce, as well as for women SHGs to sell their handlooms and handicrafts. The Rural Haat cost Rs 21.94 lakhs to build, including a Rs 15 lakh grant from NABARD and Rs 6.94 lakhs from the Chintakunta Mutually Aided Cooperative Society (MACS).
The Rural haat was formally inaugurated by NABARD Telangana region Chief General Manager Susheela Chinthala, NAFSCOB, TSCAB, and Karimnagar DCCB chairman Konduru Ravinder Rao, NABARD DDM P Ananth, Chitakunta MACS chairman Shankaraiah, and others.
The NABARD CGM stated on the occasion that the NABARD's sole goal was rural development and the empowerment of farmers, women, and youth through increased economic activity. She expressed her pleasure at inaugurating Telangana's first Rural Haat in Karimnagar and stated that she would return to see the development of this mart.
Recalling her involvement in the formation of rural haats while working with NABARD's Off Farm Development department in Mumbai, she stated that she was instrumental in increasing NABARD's grant amount to the rural haat to Rs 15 lakhs. She also encouraged the women SHG members to join the Farmers' Producer Company (FPO) for additional livelihood opportunities.
NAFSCOB Ravinder Rao assured the MACS of all assistance from the Karimnagar DCCB, as well as economic empowerment of women SHGs, after praising the Chintakunta MACS for its activities and doing business worth over Rs one crore in the village. He also stated that the Karimnagar DCCB was the first bank in the country to provide the most loans under the PMEGP for the economic activities of unemployed youth.
He informed the MACS members that the NABARD would provide all assistance for the development of the villages and encouraged them to form an FPO and include women SHG members as well. He urged farmers to take advantage of NABARD's services.
NABARD Karimnagar cluster DDM P Ananth stated that they had provided 15-day training in tailoring and maggam works for women SHG members to help them with their economic activities. On this occasion, dignitaries handed out certificates and financial aid to all participants in the maggam work training programme. Sarpanch Manjula Sammaiah, MACS director T Ramesh Reddy, NABARD representative VS Sriram, and others were among those in attendance.
