History Will Remember Your Sacrifices for Nation: Sujata R Karthikeyan to SHG Members

Bhubaneswar: Mission Shakti members are the backbone of rural Odisha and history will remember them for their selfless sacrifice in serving the people of Odisha at this critical juncture. The enthusiasm and dedication of the lakhs of SHG members has helped Odisha to keep the virus away.

Speaking at the daily press briefing organised by the Information and Public Relations Department, Secretary-cum-Director of Mission Shakti Sujata R Karthikeyan has said that, today we are at this safe position only because of the important role played by the members of the SHG groups. They are the real heroines.

“It has been 45 days of lockdown as we are fighting the war against Corona. Mission Shakti members are working with full enthusiasm and dedication and taking the leadership in their respective areas be it villages, panchayats or blocks. They have become the frontline warriors in the society to keep their state safe. They are doing an important effort in today”, she said.

Mission Shakti mothers are today engaged in many activities. Staying at home, they have produced more than 40 lakh masks and. Eight thousand members of Self-Help Groups are engaged in supply of vegetables and ration to the people in lockdown and containment areas. They are handling community kitchens and have already supplied more than 1.5 crore meals to the needy in all Gram Panchayats. Take home ration to 80 lakh children and women are being provided by the Mission Shakti members along with anganwadi didis.

In green zones and orange zones the members of the SHGs are now adding to the economic acceleration by doing a number of works like vegetable farming, fish farming, management of PDS ration stores, MGNREGS works etc have been taken up by them. This is helping in the revival of the local economy and also their economic growth.

The state government is in touch with the local banks and who have been facilitating loans for the SHG groups even during the lockdown period. About Rs 145 crore worth loans have been sanctioned to the SHG members of the state without any interest. Each member of the SHG Groups is being given Rs 5000 COVID loan. The confidence and courage of the members of the Self Help Groups is commendable. They are the backbone of the rural Odisha.

“As we enter the fourth phase of the Coronavirus, it is the most challenging phase before us. Stranded people from various states are and will return to Odisha. At this time, they will return back and we cannot deny them. They have to return and the challenge has to be handled by our mothers. The foresightedness of the government in planning helped us open quarantine centers in all panchayats of the state. Other states in India lack these facilities. Today, when the people are returning from outside, they are being kept in those quarantine centers. Our SHG members are also involved in the management of some of these centers”, Sujata R Karthikeyan said.

According to Karthikeyan, an important issue which needs to be discussed is the contact with the returnees.

She said, “I would tell all the mothers and members of the Self Help Groups to not visit the quarantine centers. May be your family members who returned from other states are staying inside them but you should not go there. I request you all not to visit the quarantine centers.”

As the returnees have to stay in quarantine for 21 days, let them stay there and help in containing the spread of the disease. Meeting those inside the quarantine centers may lead to spread of the deadly virus. Also don’t force your family members to go to quarantine centers to meet the returnees. Use phones to talk to them and tell them not to leave the centers before completion of 21 days, she said.

“A number of SHG members are telling us about their fear towards the virus. They are fearing the increase in the numbers of cases. Will the virus enter our houses? I will assure them that the all the cases are coming from the quarantine centers. All returnees are safely brought to the quarantine centers in buses and trains and they are well taken care of. The disease cannot spread to villages. They are being tested for the virus in the centers. So there is no need to fear. Each and every case has a case history, and they are being followed up hence it is not the time to fear. As and when people come back, it is sure that the number of infections will rise, bit the situation in under control in Odisha”, she added.

“Everybody is involved in the fight against the virus. There are 70 lakh Self Help Group members. You are the real Corona fighters. If the virus has not yet spread to households, it’s because of your discipline and courage. You might have done many activities in your life, today’s work is the greatest one and history will remember it”, she further said.