RAIPUR: A ‘Tribal Mart’ in north Chhattisgarh is creating its own niche on sales and supplies of select fast-moving consumer products with quality assurance and at a reasonable price.
The unique concept executed on 9 November 2019 in the Surajpur district, about 350 km north of Raipur, engages tribal women organisations as traders with the ‘Tribal Mart’ having emerged as sought after markets not only for the people but also for the government-owned schools, hostels, ashrams and other subsidiaries.
In a district with over 45 per cent scheduled tribe population, the ‘Surajpur Tribal Mart’ works on a theme—‘Ek Dukaan — Sabbo Saman (All-in-One Store), being run only by tribal women, who also put their locally made production sale.
Within a span of three-month, the women organisations garnered a total order on products of Rs 1.04 crore and so far supplied them of over Rs 99 lakh.
“The concept is equally in line with the state government’s strategy aimed to revive rural economy and augment the sources of livelihood. The initiative has impacted the hitherto existing practice of supply of sub-standard daily utilities with no cap on prices to government hostels, tribal ashrams and other outlets. A standard has been set on various products with options also available for other categories (in markets) on competitive rates. The objective is to provide good quality products at reasonable rates at the doorstep of all 108 school hostels, ashrams by the women of self-help groups using the e-rickshaws”, said Deepak Soni, Surajpur district collector.
Such Tribal Marts are operating in a local government building close to the main market area in all six development blocks of Surajpur. So the women besides trading various products for the hostels and ashrams also have access to open market sale for their business.
The women organisations usually buy the products on one month credit from the wholesalers for sale and they release payment every consecutive month through bank cheques.
One might gauge the volume of business when a 100-seater hostel/ashram gets the monthly toiletry and required products, other than the PDS ration, of over Rs 65000. In Surahpur there are 108 hostels or ashrams where monthly purchase of around Rs 40 lakh being carried out.
“Each women group gains a monthly profit of around Rs 1.5 lakh just from government hostels and ashrams. This is besides the open market sale they carry out on other products”, the collector added. 1143 households are indirectly benefitted by profits to the women organisations.
These Marts are being managed by the women organisations of National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM).