TGCC income boost to tribal women

Plans to set up soap manufacturing unit to be operated by tribal women

Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) Project Officer V P Gautham looking at the range of natural products at Giri Bazar of the Telangana State Girijan Cooperative Corporation in Bhadrachalam of Bhadradri Kothagudem district.

In pursuit of its aggressive growth strategies, the Telangana Girijan Cooperative Corporation (TGCC) has charted out an ambitious plan to start a soap manufacturing unit to be run by Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) of tribal women under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector in Bhadrachalam soon.

The proposed unit is expected to come up on the premises of the TGCC Divisional Office in the temple town.

It will produce a range of glycerine soaps made with natural extracts from papaya, neem and other plant based materials, sources said.

The initiative is intended to serve multifarious objectives, including augmenting income of tribal farmers, particularly papaya growers, promoting micro entrepreneurship development among tribal women, strengthening of the TGCC and boosting tribal economy, sources added.

Natural products

It forms the crux of a slew of aggressive growth plans initiated by the TGCC to market its wide range of natural products, including papaya, aloe vera, neem-tulasi, orange and honey variety of glycerine soaps and aloe vera based shampoo, among other herbal products under the brand name “Giri”.

The TGCC has already launched an ambitious plan to further diversify its product range, increase its retail sales and revenue. Some of the TGCC’s new products that have been made available in supermarkets in Hyderabad and elsewhere in the State have struck a chord with many consumers, sources in the TGCC said.

Training provided

A group of tribal women from Bhadrachalam Agency have already been trained in making glycerine soaps and other natural products such as aloe vera based shampoo in Hyderabad, said K. Vani, Manager of TGCC Bhadrachalam.

The site for the proposed soap manufacturing unit has already been finalised on the premises of the TGCC Divisional Office in Bhadrachalam, she said, adding that the unit is likely to be set up under the aegis of the JLGs of tribal women by August end.

The TGCC’s products such as chemical-free natural soaps and aloe vera shampoo bottles are presently being supplied to a total of 168 tribal welfare residential educational institutions including hostels and ashram schools in the erstwhile composite Khammam district.