BENGALURU:The state government has planned to open “mini-supermarkets” in villages across Karnataka to encourage entrepreneurship and generate employment among the rural youth who otherwise migrate to cities in search of a livelihood.
Social Welfare Minister Priyank Kharge told The New Indian Express that at present, the department is targeting 5,000 rural entrepreneurs to set up the mini-supermarkets . “Each district will have around 200. Applications will be invited soon and we will select them. The government, however, will not fund procurement of products, but will act as a bridge between rural youth and the companies,’’ he said.
The Department of Social Welfare is planning to tie up with companies that are into Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) manufacturing and the same will be sold at these mini-supermarkets at villages.
The mini-supermarkets in the villages will sell FMCGs like soaps, toothpastes, packaged foods, biscuits, cosmetics, dairy products, meat, vegetables, and many more. “For this, we are talking to companies who can supply their products to these rural supermarkets at subsidised rates. This will help both the parties — the entrepreneurs and the companies.
While entrepreneurs run the supermarkets in procuring day-to-day consumables, the companies supplying them will get access to the rural market, too. “It will be a win-win situation,’’ Kharge said, adding that at present rural residents have to go all the way to nearby towns to get these products as kirana stores in the villages don’t have consumer choices.
The state government is also looking at help from companies to set up these supermarkets. “These supermarkets will not be as big as those in urban centres, and can be accommodated with available infrastructure. Even a small room or building to set up these will be fine. We seek companies’ assistance in mentoring these people in terms of skill, GST and other issues,’’ he said.
To encourage this initiative, the state government is providing various self-employment schemes to establish businesses in the rural areas.Economic experts welcome the initiative. Prof Keshav S, Professor in Economics, Bengaluru University, said that in villages there is surplus agriculture labourers, and they migrate to urban centre in search of work, many joining nearby industries at hobli-level. But this initiative will make a positive impact on the rural economy.