MUNNAR: The Srishti model of development implemented by women social workers in Munnar is ideal for sustainable long-term development of backward districts in the country, said NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant here on Saturday. India will not be able to grow at a rate of 8-10 per cent over a long period without making a huge impact in the key sectors of education, health and nutrition, he said while inaugurating the silver jubilee celebrations of Aranya Natural, producers of natural dyes, which is promoted by Srishti Trust, the NGO supported by Tata Global Beverages in Munnar.
The NITI Aayog is working on a project for the development of 115 most backward districts in the country. “We work on 49 indicators and track it on a minute-to-minute basis. We challenge the districts to improve their performance by competing with each other. We have seen some dramatic impact on the lives of people by focusing on specific indicators by bringing in third-party tracking.
The Srishti model in Munnar is a good example of sustainable development that can be replicated in the 115 backward districts,” said Amitabh Kant. Complimenting the women at Srishti, Amitabh Kant said they have trained the differently-abled people to earn a livelihood and live as better human beings. While we are stressed, the children at DARE school are happy and they don’t have any worries, he said.
Amitabh Kant said the fabric designed by Aranya Natural are not only eco-friendly but also fashionable. “Srishti is not merely providing a livelihood to the differently-abled, but enriching nature by using natural discards for dyeing. They are leaving a huge impact on the lives of these people,” he said. Fashion designers from eight countries across the world and 250 delegates participating in the conference, which is based on the sustainability of natural colours on earth. Srishti founder and managing trustee Ratna Krishna Kumar, manager Sandhya Venugopal and Aranya Natural project coordinator Victoria Vijayakumar spoke.