With an eye on taking products manufactured by women Self Help Groups (SHG) to national and international markets, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has ordered the creation of a state-level Supply and Marketing Society (SMS) for which funds to the tune of Rs 15 lakh have been allotted.
This state-level society would work in tandem with the existing district societies to improve the sales of products churned out by the women groups.
An official release on Sunday said that the scheme of Self Help Groups was ushered in by the Chief Minister in her earlier regime in 1991-1992.
About 5.56 lakh such groups were in existence in the State with participation of 85.70 lakh women.
Currently, the products manufactured by the groups were marketed through district SMSes. Once the state-level SMS was set up, the facility would help take the products to national and international markets.
The release said in order to ensure that services of the district SMSes reached the larger public, a sum of Rs 77.50 lakh had been allotted to the societies in 31 districts with each getting an amount of Rs 2.50 lakh. The funds would be used to upgrade the workings of these SMSes.