Niharika Barik Singh Encourages SHG Women Engaged in Chickpea Processing, Herbal Gulal Production, and E-Rickshaw Initiatives
Published on: September 26, 2025
By: BTNI
Location: Rajnandgaon, India
Principal Secretary of Panchayat and Rural Development Department, Smt. Niharika Barik Singh, along with Mission Director of Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) and National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), Shri Ashwini Devangan, inspected multiple women-led livelihood initiatives in Rajnandgaon district on Friday.
In Sukuldaihan village, the Principal Secretary visited the Swarn Utpaj FPO’s chickpea processing unit run by 15,875 women farmers. The collective is engaged in the procurement and processing of soybean, chickpea, and other crops, contributing to enhanced income opportunities at the grassroots. She praised the efforts of women farmers in building sustainable enterprises.
Later, in Anjora village, Singh reviewed the activities at the Multi-Utility Centre, where women are engaged in the production and packaging of herbal gulal, sandalwood paste, sindoor, roli, and kumkum. Operated by 16 self-help groups with 75 women, the unit has partnered with Shri Ganesha Herbal Gulal Pvt. Ltd. and has already produced over 181 metric tons of products, generating an income of nearly ₹1.05 crore. Singh interacted with the women, who shared that the unit has significantly improved their standard of living by providing sustainable livelihood and ownership of the enterprise.
At Musrakhuurd in Dongargarh block, Singh also inspected the pedestrian rest house and distributed e-rickshaws to women, further supporting mobility and livelihood opportunities. She held discussions with “Lakhpati Didis,” women who have successfully crossed the ₹1 lakh annual income mark, and encouraged them to scale their efforts.
District Collector Dr. Sarveshwar Narendra Bhure, District Panchayat CEO Ms. Suruchi Singh, and State Advisor of Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) Smt. Abhilasha Anand accompanied the Principal Secretary during the inspections. CEO Singh explained that in addition to herbal gulal, women’s groups are also engaged in small-scale enterprises such as leaf-plate units, buffer plate manufacturing, as well as production of A2 ghee, spices, chickpea dal, incense sticks, detergent, and mushrooms.
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The Principal Secretary commended the diverse range of livelihood models under NRLM and motivated the women to continue building scalable enterprises. She underlined that such initiatives are not only generating sustainable income but also empowering rural women to become owners, entrepreneurs, and role models in their communities.
