Once lauded by PM in Mann ki Baat, women-led millet factory in Bageshwar shuts down
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Bageshwar: In Bageshwar's Munar village, a once-thriving women-led millet factory, praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 'Mann Ki Baat' address in April 2018, now lies abandoned, leaving 900 women jobless.
The Maa Chiltha Cooperative Group, which ran the factory, has struggled for two years to maintain operations, and the unit has remained shut for the past year.
"We turned our traditional grain into gold. The country recognised our work, but the system didn't support us. Policies changed, interest vanished, and we were left behind," said Tara Takuli, 60, who led the initiative.
The women had successfully transformed mandua (finger millet) into nutritious biscuits that gained national recognition.
Their products were once part of govt schemes for Anganwadi centres and pregnant women, and the enterprise had reached a turnover of Rs 15 lakh, providing livelihoods to over a thousand women and their families. The biscuits were also sold in stalls at govt-organised events.
The decline began post-Covid, as govt support and bulk orders dwindled. A project once showcased as a model of rural entrepreneurship gradually faded from official priority.
"The Prime Minister called Munar's women a national example. Today, those same women are back to square one: jobless and forgotten," said Gopa Dhapola, a local resident. "Ragi biscuits, rich in nutrition, were once sent to pregnant women. Then the govt policy changed and now they get only wheat and rice in the name of nutrition. This is not just a failure, it's betrayal."
However, officials denied that policy changes led to the factory's closure.
"The govt had no direct role. Internal disputes within the committee caused the shutdown. We've issued notices and are planning to form a new committee to restart operations," said chief development officer R C Tiwari.
Local leader Harish Aithani said after the PM mentioned the initiative, the popularity of the biscuits soared and farmers' income tripled. "Mandua prices rose from Rs 20 to Rs 60 per kilo, and jobs flourished. But now, with the factory shut, it's all come to a halt. The administration hasn't stepped in since," he added.
The factory's closure underscores the fragility of grassroots initiatives lacking sustained institutional backing and how political recognition without practical assistance proves ineffective.
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