As many as 100 women were given goats in cooperation with Goat Bank under women empowerment scheme through goat-rearing at a function held at Bondri demonstration plot of Adhilyadevi Goat-Sheep Development Corporation in Ramtek on Monday in presence of Sunil Kedar, Animal Husbandry Minister.
The corporation held the programme with a view to providing employment opportunities to rural women through goat-rearing and making them earn livelihood.
Addressing the gathering, Kedar said that this was the first pilot project and the scheme would be extended all over Maharashtra, depending on success. On the occasion. Not a single farmer rearing goat/sheep accepted the way of committing suicide in adverse condition but provided financial stability to the family through this business. He wanted that women getting goats should give priority to rearing and make the business successful. The goat bank is encouraging goat-rearing business and the women should take maximum benefit of the scheme, he pointed out.
Addresisng the gathering, Rashmi Barve, President of Nagpur Zilla Parishad, said, the goats are being given to women through Self-Help Groups and hence women should take interest in this business to live a standard life.
Naresh Deshmukh, Chairman of Goat Bank Karkheda, said that goats would be distributed to women once they submit the applications.Dr Shashank Kamble, General Manager of the corporation, welcomed the guests by presenting ‘gongdi’ prepared from sheep hair and mementos and said that goats would be distributed to 500 women.
Dr Ashish Paturkar, Vice-Chancellor of MAFSU, Shashank Bhande, Chief of Vyankateshwar Goat Bank, and Dudharam Sawwalakhe, ZP Member, also expressed their views. D. Mallikarjun, former Legislator, Vandana Sarangpate, Sub-Divisional officer, Sumitra Kumbhare, Vice-President, ZP, Sarpanch Sushama Bhimanwar and others were present.