Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (MS)

Kundapur, Oct 11: Tailoring vocational and training centre for self-reliant women, which was started with the intention of self-employment for women is facing trouble now. The centre, which was functioning for the last two years in the old government building, has been shifted overnight. It is alleged that an alternative building has been suggested in this place just for name sake.

The centre was started in 2018 by the Vandse gram panchayat of the taluk in order to create self-employment opportunity for the rural women of this region. Already 150 women have received training in three batches and are self-employed. After the building of new veterinary hospital in Vandse, the zilla panchayat had transferred the old veterinary hospital building to Vandse gram panchayat. The panchayat had given this building to the gram panchayat self-help centre. The former deputy commissioner of Udupi Priyanka Mary Francis had inaugurated this self-help centre for women.

In the beginning the women were trained in cloth and paper bag making through RUDSET Brahmavar under the sponsorship of Kundapur agriculture department. Vandse gram panchayat also gave the work of stitiching bags required for distributing prasadam of temple that fall under the gram panchayat, to the women who got trained in the centre. These women also contributed as corona warriors by tailoring masks during the recent coronavirus pandemic.

An aid of Rs 2 lac that was granted by the department concerned for the development of the stitiching centre was kept as safe deposit in bank and a loan of Rs four lac was taken on the same. In that amount, power machine, cutting maching, overlock machine and other cloth material was purchased.

Now the officials are saying that they are going to start a recreation centre in the building. They have also suggested an altearnative government building to shift the existing stiching training centre. However, the other building which is suggested by the officials, is already reserved for Nada Kacheri. It is also said that the self-help centre is being just shifted temporarily and gradually it will be closed.

It is said that there is political enmity in shifting the women self-help centre overnight to other building under police protection. PDO of Vandse gram panchayat had arrived to the centre on Friday to get the same vacated saying that he has order from CEO of zilla panchayat. However, due to the protest of the women, who were working there he returned and his second attempt to vacate the centre in the afternoon also was foiled by the women. Later the officials agreed to the demand of the women in the centre who asked for 10 days of time. However, they vacated the centre in the night and shifted the stiching machines to some other building. According to Panchayatraj law no vacating of building can be done after sunset. Now the villagers are protesting for stealing the daily bread of women, who were self-employed.

Speaking on the subject, Mahalakshmi, supervisor of self-help centre Vandse said, "Some people who were jealous of the progress made by the centre used to harass us from a long time. They used to pressurize us, through the officials, to close this centre. This centre, which used to provide employment and livelihood for more than 100 women is closed and thereby injustice is meted out to them. PM Modi is trying to consolidate the economy of the country by strenthening self-employment sector. But here the reverse is taking place."

Udayakumar Shetty, immediate past president of gram panchayat Vandse said, "As the opportunities for rural women of getting self-employed were less, Vandse gram panchayt started the self-help centre and gave training of tailoring. Hundreds of women have got benefited because of this centre. There is political vendetta behind the sudden shifting of this centre. SLRM unit, self-help centre and school had brought laurels to the Vandse gram panchayat. In this context, work of encouraging self-employment, keeping aside political differences, should have been done. It is unfortunate that in this noble venture also people are trying to find deficiencies. Public is observing everything and will answer in future."

A protest was held in front of the Self-help tailoring training centre on Saturday, October 10 by Vandse rural Congress, various organizations and public against the atrocity of administrative officer and panchayat officer.

Former Byndoor Congress MLA Gopala Poojary, former president of Vandse gram panchayat Uday Kumar Shetty, president of Vandse block Congress Pradeep Kumar Shetty, Vikas Hegde, Malyadi Shivarama Shetty, taluk panchayat member Uday Poojary, Vasudeva Pai, Congress leaders Sampigedi Sanjeeva Shetty, Santhosh Balady, Sharath Shetty and Prashant Karki took part in the protest.

Anjanadevi, administrative officer of gram panchayat said that they are shifting the self-help tailoring centre to old primary health care centre as there is no other building under the panchayat that is vacant.