Latest news with #JharkhandStateLivelihoodPromotionSociety
Time of India
23-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Health & hygiene prog expands to 263 blocks
Ranchi: The Food Nutrition Health and Wash initiative, which started in just four blocks in 2014, has now expanded its coverage to 263 blocks across the state in 2025, underscoring the growing role of women's collectives in grassroots health and sanitation initiatives. T his figure was highlighted during a two-day regional workshop on "Towards a Healthy Future: Food, Nutrition, Health and Wash (FNHW)" which concluded on Wednesday. Jointly hosted by the ministry of rural development (MoRD) and the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS), the workshop brought together delegates and officials from 14 states including Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana and others. On the occasion, minister Deepika Pandey Singh said, "The 3.2 million rural women associated with SHGs in the state are becoming the real agents of change in villages. Women's health is not just a social indicator but a mirror of economic development." Pandey emphasised empowering women through schemes like Sarvajan Pension Yojana, Maiyyan Samman Yojana, and Abua Awas, implemented at scale via women's groups. The minister called for integrated efforts among schemes like MGNREGA, Jal Jeevan Mission, Anganwadi Services, and Panchayats to maximise the impact on health, nutrition, and sanitation. Deputy secretary of MoRD, Monika, discussed innovative approaches such as nutrition gardens, peer counselling, the Jashn initiative, and documentation techniques, offering insights for better programme implementation at the state level. Joint secretary, MoRD, Smriti Sharan, said, "Nearly 2,00,000 FNHW cadres are now active across the country, with Jharkhand making significant strides. Participants undertook field visits to 14 districts to observe model interventions which would help replicate impactful practices across states." Secretary, rural development department, K Sreenivasan, said, "Key initiatives such as Phulo-Jhano Ashirwad Yojana, Dakiya Yojana (for doorstep delivery of rations to PVTGs), and Johar Project, are helping transform women's lives."
United News of India
17-07-2025
- Business
- United News of India
World Bank lauds JOHAR for transforming Women-led rural economy in Jharkhand
Ranchi, July 17 (UNI) The World Bank has praised Jharkhand's flagship rural development programme JOHAR for significantly improving livelihoods through women-led farming enterprises across 17 districts. Over the last four years, 21 women-led Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) formed under the project have achieved a combined turnover of nearly USD 21 million, demonstrating measurable change in productivity, income and social empowerment. Implemented by the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) under the Rural Development Department, the Jharkhand Opportunities for Harnessing Rural Growth (JOHAR) programme began in 2017 with World Bank support. The project focused on strengthening agri-food systems through women's collectives, improving technical capacity, access to markets, and irrigation. In Kanke block, Asha Devi leads a producer group that is part of Sarhul Ajeevika Farmer Producer Company Limited, a women-run collective with over 14,000 members. The company has grown from an initial turnover of Rs 2 lakh in 2019 to over Rs 3.5 crore at present. 'We have learned to negotiate together and understand the value of our work,' she said. According to officials, the project built agri-value chains around vegetables, fishery, goatery, poultry and non-timber forest produce. The introduction of modern irrigation, soil health planning, digital tools, and community-managed Custom Hiring Centres helped women collectives scale operations. Over 550 nursery units and solar irrigation systems were also established. In the livestock sector, women-led poultry and goat farming models yielded substantial income growth. In Malsiring village of Ranchi district, Dharmi Devi, who started backyard poultry farming with support from JOHAR, now earns up to Rs 72,000 per production cycle. She also serves as co-director of Sarhul FPO and is the elected mukhiya of her panchayat. The expansion of rural hatcheries was another key intervention. Ranchi-based Divyansh Agro Poultry Hatchery, a private unit linked to JOHAR, increased its output tenfold to 100,000 chicks per week. The unit also developed solar-powered hatchery equipment to promote household-level chick rearing. In forest fringe areas like Bero and Raidih, women's groups shifted to lemongrass cultivation and lac farming as drought-resilient income alternatives. Over 250 tribal women cultivated lemongrass on 70 acres with support for distillation and processing, while trained lac cultivators revived traditional resin harvesting practices. As of June 2024, JOHAR had reached over 2.24 lakh producers, organised into nearly 4,000 producer groups, and trained over 17,000 community cadres. The World Bank, in a recent social media post, highlighted the project's role in transforming rural women into agri-entrepreneurs through collective action and targeted support. Rural Development Secretary K. Srinivasan said that the success of the model lies in its end-to-end value chain approach. 'This project has enabled thousands of landless and tribal women to become leaders in production, processing, and trade,' he said. Reacting to the recognition, Chief Minister Hemant Soren posted, 'My mothers and sisters are moving forward with strength and confidence. Your son and brother is always with you.' JOHAR, which closed last year, is now being studied as a model for replication in other states. Its focus on women's collectives, diversified livelihoods, and climate resilience has drawn attention from national and international agencies. UNI XC BM
Time of India
11-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
More than 3.4k farmers benefited through seed distribution in Ranchi
1 2 Ranchi: Over 3,400 farmers in Ranchi district benefited through the state agriculture department's seed distribution programme for this year's Kharif season, the Ranchi district agriculture officer (DAO) Ram Shankar Prasad said on Friday. He added that farmers have availed seeds of rice and lentils at a 50% subsidy from the govt. "A total of 646.63 quintal of seeds have been distributed among 3,425 farmers of the district between June 24 and July 9, facilitating them to start agricultural activities in a timely manner. However, excess rain since the onset of monsoon badly hampered the growth of the seeds sown." State agriculture, animal husbandry and co-operatives department minister Shilpi Neha Tirkey, officially inaugurated the distribution of seeds among farmers in May this year, eyeing to distribute over 80,000 quintals of seeds to farmers across the state, doubling the figure of the previous year. On Friday, minister Tirkey distributed tractors, seeds, and ducklings among members of women self-help groups in Raghunathpur in Chanho. While addressing the gathering, she said, "I am proud of the women of the Raghunathpur cluster. They have achieved a lot, but there is still much more to be done. This will only be possible if JSLPS (Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society) officials succeed in preparing better plans. We must ensure that the path to change and development passes through rural areas of the state." She emphasised the importance of creating awareness among women's groups about the schemes being run by the department, as well as those implemented by JSLPS. "Today, the department is providing tractors, seeds, and ducklings to women's groups on a subsidy. These schemes can help shape a better future," the minister added.
Time of India
05-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Women in a Bokaro village turn barren land into mango orchard, rake in moolah
1 2 Bokaro: The women of Kathal Tola in Hesim village, a tribal dominated hamlet in Bokaro's Kasmar block, have turned a barren landscape into a fertile mango orchard with the help of several state assistance schemes. For the women, life changed for the better in 2015 when they began planting mango saplings in a five-acre land in their village with the assistance of MGNREGS, Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) and a few NGOs. The hilly terrain of Hesim offered little in terms of irrigation or soil fertility, but through collective effort and guidance, the women turned the impossible into a thriving success. Information about the state govt's Birsa Harit Gram Yojana reached the women through MGNREGS at the panchayat level. Under this initiative, the women received training, saplings, and were assured access to markets for their produce. Previously, lack of fair pricing and proper markets left farmers disheartened. "In 2025, we sold more than 15 quintals of mangoes through Grameen Harit Kranti Farmer Producer Company, our own establishment which was formed under the FPO scheme of Nabard. This not only brought in significant income but also enhanced our social standing. Our mangoes were never valued earlier. Now they are special," Shravani Devi, a woman from the village, said. Besides mangoes, the women now practice mixed farming and grow sweet potatoes, vegetables, and kurthi based on annual crop planning. Many women, especially from the Santoshi Mahila Mandal, are now earning Rs 45,000 to Rs 55,000 annually and actively participating in family decisions. "The way these tribal women have become self-reliant is truly inspiring. It shows the power of convergence between govt schemes and community effort. Their journey is as a beacon of Nari Shakti (women power)," Bokaro deputy commissioner Ajay Nath Jha said, lauding the efforts of the women.
