Paradip: JSW Utkal Steel has set new benchmarks through various developmental initiatives even before the establishment of its project in Odisha’s Paradip.
From promoting women’s self-reliance to contributing to agriculture, education, healthcare, and electrification, the company has reached public spaces across the region. It has earned a distinct identity for empowering local women and making them self-dependent, a company press release said on Saturday.
Under the initiative of JSW Utkal Steel, 246 Self-Help Group (SHG) members have prepared 98,400 mushroom beds. Each member is earning around Rs 5,000 per month. Additionally, 1,909 farmers have been provided skill training for livelihood enhancement, helping small enterprises grow. SHGs engaged in incense stick making, poultry farming, and mushroom cultivation have particularly benefited.
Similarly, 612 SHG members are involved in poultry farming, earning an average monthly income of Rs 3,500. For making “badi” (dried lentil dumplings), 43 SHG members produce 300 kg per month, earning Rs 1,500 monthly. Eight members of Maa Sarala SHG are making bags and earning Rs 1,500 per month. Ten members of Sambhabana PG produce 250 kg of spices every month, with each earning Rs 1,500. Fourteen members of
Maa Annapurna PG make jute bags and earn Rs 2,500 per month each.
In incense stick production, women from 45 SHGs earn a minimum of Rs 1,750 per month. In Nolia Sahi, 20 women of Maa Charchika PG have been provided with two high-capacity solar-powered fish drying machines worth approximately Rs 2 lakh. These machines can dry 20 kg of fish in three hours, proving especially beneficial during the rainy season and ensuring better quality dried fish production.
Overall, 3,043 families have experienced an increase in additional income, the release said.
Sharmistha Jena, a member of Subasita Producer Group of Nuagaon, said that earlier they made incense sticks but could not progress. With support from JSW, their group of 30 members is now able to sustain their families through incense stick production.
Minakshi Das shared that two of their betel vine farms were lost due to company construction, causing them to lose their livelihood. At that time, JSW Utkal extended support. They collectively decided to start mushroom cultivation, and with materials provided by the company, they prepared 200 beds and are now sustaining their families. They plan to expand production further.
Sandhyarani Dalai of Annapurna PG, Gobindpur, said that by making various jute products, they earn an average of Rs 1,500 per month per member.
Under the leadership of Anita Nayak from Jagannath SHG, mushroom cultivation with 200 beds has been developed into a small enterprise, providing a stable source of income.
In Polang, Krishna SHG has undertaken poultry farming on a large scale, generating substantial profit, boosting the rural economy, and creating employment opportunities.