- Earning 10 to 12 thousand rupees every month
- She used to work as a labourer in other people’s fields, but now she is her own owner.
- 15,000 families are engaged in the dairy business in the district, producing 65,000 liters of milk daily.
Stories of change and service are emerging under the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan. The transformation in the lives of these tribal women of Joratarai village is nothing short of a fairytale. Once dedicated to collecting wood in the forests, or working as farm laborers, these women are now creating a new story by taking advantage of government schemes. Once dependent on agricultural labor and forest produce, the tribal women of Joratarai village in Mahasamund district have written a new story of transformation in their lives through hard work, training, and government support. Seventeen tribal women from the village have started a dairy business, taking advantage of a scheme provided by the Veterinary Department. Today, these women produce approximately 180 liters of milk daily and earn an income of approximately 10,000 to 12,000 rupees per month.
Joratarai, a tribal-dominated village within the Gram Panchayat Bhimkhoj, is located about 30 kilometers from the Mahasamund district headquarters. With a population of approximately 885, most families in this village depend on agricultural labor and forest produce. The Veterinary Department, under the Central Government’s Special Central Assistance Tribal Development Sub-Plan, engaged 17 women in the village in the dairy business. Under the scheme, each beneficiary received two cows, feed, utensils, animal insurance, and five months’ worth of fodder, with assistance of approximately ₹198,000. Initially, the 17 women owned a total of 34 cows, producing approximately 60 liters of milk per day. After training, improved knowledge of animal husbandry, and regular care, milk production has now increased to approximately 180 liters per day.
Following the increase in milk production, a milk committee was formed in the village with the support of the Veterinary Department. Now, women are not limited to milk production alone, but are also playing an active role in the committee’s operations. The milk committee purchases milk from these women at a rate of approximately 35 rupees per liter, and payments are made approximately every ten days. This has provided the women with a regular source of income.
Women who previously worked as laborers in other people’s fields and homes are now running their own businesses. Their increased income has also improved their families’ financial situation. Bhagwati Dhruv, Khuleshwari Sabar, Savitri Dhruv, and Lata Sabar of Joratarai say that animal husbandry and dairy farming have given them the opportunity to stand on their own feet. Now, they are inspiring other women in the village to join the dairy business.
Department officials reported that women’s participation in dairy farming is steadily increasing in Mahasamund district. 147 women from other communities in the district are also involved in dairy farming, managed by NITI Aayog. Approximately 15,000 families in the district are involved in dairy production, producing approximately 65,000 liters of milk daily. Milk is collected through 169 milk committees in the district.
