Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS) has been helping the people of the state through its self-help groups (SHGs) during the ongoing war against coronavirus.
Members of the ORMAS-affiliated SHGs have assisted in sale of vegetables worth Rs 20 lakh and masks worth Rs 1 crore in state during the nationwide lockdown.
The SHGs have been assisting producers’ groups (PGs) from several districts of the state to sell vegetables, fruits and grocery items in the local markets and weekly haats, sources said.
Around 22 PGs from Angul, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Jharsuguda, Koraput, Mayurbhanj, Rayagada and Sambalpur districts are selling their products through the SHGs.
“The ORMAS is facilitating the transportation and marketing of goods in local markets as well as in weekly haats. The vegetables marketed by ORMAS-affiliated SHGs are fresh and their prices are also reasonable. The SHGs have helped in the marketing of vegetables worth Rs 20 lakh during the lockdown,” said a source.
Arjun Munda, a member of an SHG, claimed that they have been working hand in hand with the PGs for the marketing of vegetables and fruits. “Besides, the SHGs are manufacturing masks to check the spread of coronavirus,” Munda told Orissa POST.
The ORMAS has been encouraging the SHGs to manufacture cotton masks to meet the shortfall in the state. It has also been providing marketing facilities to the SHGs. ORMAS sources said several SHGs in Balasore, Bhadrak, Khandhamal, Jharsuguda, Angul, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Cuttack, Keonjhar, Puri, Sambalpur, Subarnapur, Khurda and Nabrangpur are manufacturing protective masks.
“More than 60 SHGs from these districts are involved in the manufacturing of masks. The ORMAS is providing raw materials and basic training to the group members to manufacture the masks. Besides, the agency is facilitating marketing of these products. The SHGs have also supplied Covid-19 masks to Kolkata.
Till date, these groups have prepared and sold more than 8,00,000 masks having a market value of around Rs 1 crore,” added the source.