Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Bureau.
In a bid to promote local products and empower women, a motel operated by women’s groups is set to be established along the Delhi-Nainital National Highway near Jagatpur Patti in Jaspur of district Udham Singh Nagar. The project, part of the Rural Enterprise Augmentation Project (REAP), aims to provide tourists direct access to local products made by women-led Cluster Level Federations (CLFs).
The motel, which will include a restaurant and guest house, will be run by the CLFs and will feature handmade products from various women’s groups in the district. A plot of approximately one bigha has been identified for the project, and an estimated Rs 1.10 crore has been allocated by the Central Government for infrastructure development. Once construction is complete, the motel will be handed over to the women’s CLF for operation.
“Under the REAP scheme, business plans from 15 CLFs have been approved so far,” said Himanshu Joshi, District Project Manager Director. “Each CLF will receive Rs 4 lakh from REAP, with an additional Rs 1 lakh invested by the CLFs themselves.”
“The district has 39 CLFs operated by women’s groups, with 25 submitting business proposals under REAP. Efforts are also underway to upgrade the local products produced by these CLFs and create new marketing opportunities”, he added.
Manish Kumar, Chief Development Officer (CDO) of Udham Singh Nagar, highlighted the benefits of the project: “The project marks a significant step towards empowering women entrepreneurs and strengthening the rural economy. This initiative will help deliver local products directly to tourists visiting Kumaon. It will not only boost the income of women’s groups but also provide a new identity to the district’s products.”
