PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Rural Development Department officials stated on Saturday that the Swabhimaan Cluster Level Federation (CLF) in Doiwala block has been provided with a Yodha pickup vehicle to support Self-Help Groups (SHGs), aiming to improve logistics and reduce transportation costs for women-led enterprises.
Assistant project director and district mission manager Sonam Gupta Singhal stated that the vehicle was received on April 6 and allotted to the Ranipokhri cluster. It is currently being used for limited operations and is expected to be fully deployed from next month.
She said that the SHG members regularly travel to exhibitions and collect products from different villages for packaging and sale. Gupta said that these activities earlier involved high transportation expenses, which reduced their margins. With the vehicle now available, the cost burden is expected to ease, directly benefiting members’ incomes. She added that improved transport will also enable SHGs to take up private orders from outside areas, creating additional earning opportunities.
Doiwala block mission manager Suraj Chamoli said that the vehicle will primarily be used to transport raw materials from rural and nearby areas to federation centres. Agricultural produce such as mandua (finger millet) and other millets, along with locally sourced spices, will be brought for processing, including sorting, grading and packaging, before being marketed.
Chamoli said that the federation is also in talks with small vendors and local traders to streamline procurement and distribution. Vendors from nearby Rishikesh have already initiated discussions and more collaborations are likely in the coming months. The vehicle will be operated by SHG members, while the federation will bear expenses related to fuel and maintenance. The Swabhimaan CLF has around 1,800 women members, including nearly 600 women farmers. The initiative is expected to improve market access and strengthen income generation for SHGs in the block.
