The National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (Nabard) is promoting marts in four Jharkhand cities–Hazaribagh, Jamshedpur, Ranchi and Deogarh–to sell products made primarily by self-help groups (SHGs) operating in and around these places.
Nabard has also chosen Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Deogarh post offices to assist it in selling SHG products on a commission basis. The products will be displayed in these post offices.
A soft launch of the post-office scheme took place recently in Ranchi. Jharkhand chief post master general AS Prasad, Jharkhand postal services director Anil Kumar and Nabard chief general manager (CGM) in the state KC Shashidhar were present.
Speaking to FE, the Nabard CGM, who was here recently in connection with the inauguration of a local mart, said: “The marts are to be run as a purely business proposition”. While the Nabard has various models to back the marts, NGOs and SHGs facilitating in running those would have full liberty in terms of arranging/displaying the items, he added.
Though multi-item marts will not be owned by anybody, local SHG members will man them with an NGO acting as the ‘facilitator’. The marts will also sell products of other SHGs in the state.
Adopting a participatory rural appraisal (PRA) technique, Nabard has asked interested local NGOs to work out and submit to it monetary estimates of running marts.
“Nabard is not encouraging fixed (capital) expenditure, but is willing to support recurring costs like that of artisans’ training, discount offered to salesmen, payment of rent, preparation of showcases, etc,” said Shashidhar when asked about the investment Nabard was likely to incur.
The Nabard has asked local NGOs to draw up plans, including monetary estimates.
While the mart in Ranchi will house and sell forest produces including ayurvedic preparations, the one in Hazaribagh will concentrate on locally grown vegetables as well as local ‘Sohrai’ painting, which uses black mud found in the river bed as colour.
The mart in Jamshedpur will mainly sell ‘Paitkar’ paintings, dokra metal castings and ‘Sawai’ grass items, while the one in the temple-town of Deoghar will sell sweetmeats (peda), flowers & fruits as well as cast iron items.
The Nabard CGM on Monday inaugurated the marts in Ranchi and Hazaribagh. The other two will be opened shortly.
