Tripura: 20-day program trains Sipahijala women from SHGs in jute bag making

Keeping up with the government’s mission to make the women associated with Self-Help Groups (SHGs) self-reliant, a 20-day training programme was organised in Tripura’s Sipahijala district recently for training women in the art of jute bag making.

The programme, organised under the initiative of Gramin Jivika Mission, is held at the two-story building of Charilam RD office, where more than 30 women are being trained in tailoring techniques.

Under the initiative, 30 women of Charilam block are undergoing 20 days of jute bag training. The training started on 9 July and will continue till 31 July.

Notably, Lakhpati Didi Yojana is a government programme that helps rural women in SHGs earn a sustained annual household income of Rs 1 lakh.

Charilam Block Panchayat Samiti Chairperson Khela Bhowmik Debnath visits the training camp today. The Gramin Jivika Mission Charilam RD Block plans to open a jute bag unit with these women in the coming days, enabling them to make jute bag products such as file covers and household items and sell them in the market.

After 20 days of training, a unit will open after one month so that women can make keybags, bags, jute doormats, and various jute items for home decoration.

Many women associated with the programme say this is a step towards their empowerment and also one that will help realise their ‘Lakhpati Didi’ dream.

“Around 30 women here are working on jute bag making. Our Prime Minister wants every woman to become self-reliant and independent. That is why training programmes are being provided for various crafts. In our Charilam, many training sessions take place, such as bamboo craft and toy making,” says Sampa Datta, a ‘Lakhpati Didi’.

She adds that, among these, the women are especially happy with jute bag training.

“Nowadays, plastic bags dominate the market, but we can replace them with jute bags and other products like doormats, decorative wall mats, and handbags. Jute naturally doesn’t spoil easily.”

Another SHG woman, Pintu Bhowmik, says, “Under this initiative, we started jute bag training about 20 days ago. Using those techniques, we are now preparing excellent products. We want to promote these products in the coming days across various government departments for file covers, bags, etc., so that the sisters can become self-reliant. Our next plan is to create a full unit so they can earn an income and gain employment. Our mission is for all SHG sisters to become ‘Lakhpati Didis’.”

She adds that people constantly advocate for avoiding plastic because it pollutes the environment.

“Using jute bags will help the environment, and right now, the demand for these bags is very high; they are used in almost every event.”