Gram Vikas Bhavan, Kharghar and The Mahalakshmi Saras Mart.....

Gram Vikas Bhavan, Kharghar and The Mahalakshmi Saras Mart....

Two years ago, I was called by Mr.Aseem Gupta, our techno- savvy and dynamic Secretary to the Department of Rural Development, Government of Maharashtra for a meeting to operationalise and put to use Gram Vikas Bhavan at Kharghar. It was followed by a visit to the place.
One look at the imposing structure, the blue skyline from the open terrace and the green Golf course across the building, my heart was into the hole akin a perfectly hit golf ball and I was ready to putt with the tee.
Holed or souled, I lost no time in accepting the responsibility to operationalise it despite the innumerable questions and doubts raised by my colleagues. The task was stupendous as the building though constructed well was not in use for over a couple of years. However our committee sat together and submitted the action plan immediately.
The onerous task of executing it was given to MSRLM and I was more than happy. Our team made every effort to liasion with the CIDCO authorities who were the architects and as well as executors of the building. We also followed all procedures to procure the services of different agencies for repairs and renovation and within a span of 6 months the structure was ready to use.
There has been no looking back after that with all our training and capacity building programmes shifting to the Gram Vikas Bhavan, now popularly known as GVB. The state of art auditorium has been a witness to many interesting programmes.
Along side the training hall and the beautiful auditorium were 34 galas or stalls for exhibition and sale of products made by SHGs which were also not in use.
The Department of Rural Development and
Umed MSRLM organise the Mahalakshmi Saras every year to provide a marketing platform to SHGs to market their products. However there was a constant demand to have a place where products of SHGs could be kept for sale throughout the year. The unused galas , stalls at GVB appeared perfect for the cause.
We executed a plan to equip and refurbish the stalls with storage and other facilities and launched it ambitiously with the name, " The Mahalakshmi Saras Mart.
Initially SHGs from all districts of the state were provided space there. However logistics and coordination proved to be difficult. So we finally came up with the plan to allocate 21 stalls for 10 days in circulation to each of the 34 rural districts so that they could show case their products. We began with Thane district last week which complained of poor response. A strategy was worked out immediately for adequate publicity which improved the footfalls.
21 SHGs of Palghar district are now there at GVB. I went there to have a look at their products, the sale and find out about the response from the local people and was greeted by the chirpy women who were truly happy to be there. They said the response was good on some days and bad or average on other days but nevertheless they had been able to sell a lot of their products.
Together all the stalls had managed to make a sale of of Rs.14,000 in 6 days which by itself was a great achievement.
The products included hand pounded rice, pulses, millets, rice flour for diabetics, papds, fryums, different types of ecofriendly cloth bags, colourful garlands made of wool, beauty and health products. Two SHGs had been making mouthwatering rural cuisine of rice or raagi bhaakris, veg and non-veg dishes, pooran polis and specially gaavraan chicken. They were even delivering it to the homes nearby.
What stood out among all these products were the hand woven godhadis, cotton quilts in different colours reflecting our age old Marathi tradition. They resonated the vibrant mood of our women from the SHGs of Palghar who happily posed for pictures. Business may not be so brisk every day but they were making a mark, learning how to improve themselves and definitely earning much more than what they would have in their villages. Their excitement on my visit and their innocence in posing for pictures with me was similar to what I felt after the GVB was inaugurated by the Hon'ble Chief Minister.
The Mahalakshmi Saras Mart, may not be a very sought after place now but I am sure it will definitely be buzzing with business some day and make lives of rural women more prosperous and happy.
My mind drifted to thoughts of a very famous poem by Robert Fost, " The Road not taken",. I mulled over it and remembered the lines...."Two roads diverged in a wood, and I....???? I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference"

P.S.- Please do visit the Mahalakshmi Saras Mart at Gram Vikas Bhavan, opposite ISCKON Temple, Sector 21, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra 410210....Be the change, feel the difference....
https://g.co/kgs/H9D18K