https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Developing Rural Jharkhand with Livelihood Opportunities

Using innovative techniques to provide better livelihood opportunities to people living in the rural regions of Jharkhand, IAS officer Aradhana Patnaik’s work has directly benefitted over 20 lakh families and 3.6 lakh migrants. And she did this all in the midst of a raging pandemic.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Many people in rural Jharkhand, who had been living on the margins so far, are now walking on the path of development. This has become possible with the efforts of the Rural Development Department of Jharkhand. It has created new livelihood opportunities for thousands of rural people at a time when the pandemic is pushing millions into penury.

DEVELOPING THE RURAL POPULATION

Speaking with Indian Masterminds, Secretary of Rural Development Department Jharkhand, Ms. Aradhana Patnaik (an IAS officer of 1998 batch) said, “People living in the rural areas of the state are hardworking but they don’t get much opportunities and are also not aware of the various technologies which are available in the world out there. These people are traditionally into agricultural and other activities like poultry, dairy etc. As they lack information on the latest technology and how to market their products, the rural department is helping them by providing all the assistance which is required to improve their livelihood and standard of living.”

For this, the department has launched an initiative called Aajeevika Samwardhan Hunar Abhiyan (ASHA), to empower the rural families with strong means of livelihood based on the local resources, opportunities and possibilities available in the state.

Women doing farming activities in rural Jharkhand

The initiative is being implemented by the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS), a nodal agency established by the rural department for effective implementation of livelihood opportunities among rural people.

SPREARHEADING THE INITIATIVE

The idea was put in place in September 2020, with an aim to provide two or more income earning opportunities to rural families, through different means of livelihood covered under SHGs. It was the time when the country was going through the first wave of Covid 19 pandemic and the initiative became provided lot of support to the returning migrants.

In the present context, the second wave is turning out to be worse and migrants are once again returning back from different places. In such unusual times, an effort is being made under the ASHA initiative to link the family of migrants to self-employment and employment opportunities. The JSLPS is implementing this initiative through various ongoing schemes like DAY-NRLM, JOHAR, JHIMDI, MKSP, SVEP, DDUGKY in Jharkhand

Government of Jharkhand sanctioned Rs. 75 crore to 50,000 Sakhi Mandals

Going forward, the rural families were provided various livelihood opportunities in the field of agriculture, non-timber forest products (NTFP), animal husbandry, entrepreneurship, skill-based employment and self-employment to ensure sustainable livelihood for rural families under ASHA.

PALASH- A PLATFORM TO SELL

Ms. Patnaik said, “All the rural SHGs who were traditionally producing farm products like tamarind, honey, pulses, rice, mustard oil etc. were selling it to the local traders, who were mostly benefitting from it and not the women SHG workers who were producing it. We found a solution to this issue and launched a brand name called ‘Palash’ to add value to their products.”

Rural women and SHGs producing various products through new technology

“We have formed around ten thousand Farmer Producer Groups (FPG) in the state and in every group, there are around 50 odd women. Therefore, around 50 thousand women are engaged in this process. Further, these women producers conduct end-to-end value chain process of production, collectivization, processing, packaging, branding, and marketing,” she added.

Tamarind, honey, arhar pulse, jeera phool rice, mustard oil, soap, millet floor, Haldi, lemongrass oil, lac and various other products are the output of this process. The brand was launched with an aim to integrate the products by rural women entrepreneurs.

Trained women doing scientific lac cultivation in rural Jharkhand

The potential of the rural women entrepreneurship among the members of the SHGs of the state has now been promoted under the Palash brand, with a targeted value of Rs. 1000 crores by 2023.

EXPANDING THE BRAND

Ms. Patnaik said, “In the first phase, we have established ‘Palash Mart’ in every district headquarter. We now plan to scale it up to the whole state.”

Setting up Palash Mart in every district headquarter

The Palash branding & marketing strategy has been getting a vibrant response and as a result, within a period of around 180 days, 37 products have been launched in the open market through an exclusive network of 19 `Palash Marts’ and 26 Palash display counters.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
SEBI
SEBI Appoints 3 New Executive Directors: Amit Pradhan, Avneesh Pandey & Sanjay Purao Take Charge
Lateral_entry_resized
No Reservation in Lateral Govt Job Entries, Centre Tells Rajya Sabha Citing Single-Post Rule
DelhiPolice
Top-Level Shake-Up in Delhi Police: 3 IPS Officers Reassigned Amid Security Concerns; Chahal Named DG, Civil Defence
mp
MP’s ₹3 Lakh Crore Infrastructure Boom: 255 km Greenfield Highway, ₹5,500 Cr Tiger Corridor Among Key Road Projects
FINNOVATION 2025
SBI & IIT Guwahati Celebrate FINNOVATION 2025 Winners in Gurugram, Empowering Young Innovators to Solve Banking Challenges
nitish-kumar
Bihar: CM Nitish Kumar Inaugurates Rs 44 Crore Six-Lane Pull-Up Ramp in Patna, Aims to Ease Traffic Congestion- Know More
CM yogi
UP: CM Yogi Inaugurates Two New Kalyan Mandaps in Gorakhpur, Emphasizes Accessible Celebration Spaces- Full Details Inside
CISF
National Security at Risk: Centre Opposes Supreme Court Ruling Curtailing IPS Deputation in CAPFs, Says IPS Presence is Crucial
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
Resisted Flawed Schemes, Transferred Thrice In Three Months, Found Solace In Writing
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
IAS SVR Srinivas on Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Tough Calls, and the Real Power of IAS Officers | Video Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
Dharavi Redevelopment: IAS Minds Turning 100-Year-Old Slum into a Modern City | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-12 at 7.27
First Attempt IRS, Fourth Attempt IPS: The Relentless Pursuit of Jitendra Kumar Yadav Who Cracked UPSC 3 Times
IPS Yadav is originally from Chhattisgarh. He was first selected for the IRS through UPSC and later for...
Social Media
Masahiro Hara
From Go Board to Global Use, How QR Codes Changed the World: IRAS Officer Ananth Rupanagudi Spotlights Masahiro Hara’s Vision
IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi shared a video on Masahiro Hara, the inventor of QR codes, highlighting...
IFS Susanta Nanda Video
A Mother’s Duty: Tigress Watches Over Cubs Splashing in Waterhole — Heartwarming Video Shared By Retd. IFS Officer Susanta Nanda
A tender wildlife video shared by Retd. IFS officer Susanta Nanda shows a tigress keeping watch over...
Mohanmala
Kaziranga Mourns: Beloved Elephant Mohanmala Passes Away After Five Decades of Service
Kaziranga National Park mourns the loss of Mohanmala, a beloved elephant who served over 50 years as...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
SEBI
SEBI Appoints 3 New Executive Directors: Amit Pradhan, Avneesh Pandey & Sanjay Purao Take Charge
Lateral_entry_resized
No Reservation in Lateral Govt Job Entries, Centre Tells Rajya Sabha Citing Single-Post Rule
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT