With an aim to make villagers financially self-dependent, the Chhattisgarh government is setting up 300 Rural Industrial Park (RIPA) units in the state at a cost of Rs 600 crore.
The villagers who earlier sold raw materials for various forest products will now get an opportunity at RIPA units to manufacture, process and sell their end products anywhere, including C-marts in the city. The initiative is a part of the state government’s Suraji village scheme.
The first RIPA unit in Bastar district was inaugurated on the Republic Day by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. The district administrations across the 9, 596 villages in the state have been given a target of completing work of the remaining 299 RIPA units by March-end.
Rs 2 crore is granted for each RIPA unit, the first one at Turenar village in Jagdalpur tehsil, Bastar district, is set up at a cost of Rs 3.30 crore. The unit is spread across 5 acres and provides accommodation to those villagers who come for training before being selected for work.
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