PANAJI: Aiming at empowering rural women, chief minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday launched www.goabazaar.org that would provide an online platform for self-help groups (SHGs) to sell their homemade products. Sawant said that state government will provide land at public places to set up stalls to sell products made by SHGs.
After launching the website, Sawant said with the website local products will get an international market, adding that the state government will hand over land at public places like bus stands to set up stalls.
Rural development minister Michael Lobo said, “We will not leave no stone unturned to set up stalls across the state to sell the products.” Lobo urged the chief minister to allot land at 10 different locations for the stalls. “If land is transferred to the department then I will set up stalls within a month,” Lobo said.
The website presents a range of authentic homemade Goan foods, handicrafts, home decor items, organic farm produce, services, embroidery products across 12 blocks of Goa. With this the government aims at making women in villages financially independent and help improve the rural economy. Over 200 products from 157 SHGs are available for purchase through the Goa bazaar website and more products will be added later. Customers can search and buy products made by SHGs and also learn more about the artisans through this platform.
Currently the Goa state rural livelihood mission is working with 3,000 SHGs covering 36,000 households. Authentic Goan food products are made by the various SHGs.
