India Post and the Indian Railways have announced that to help push women self-help groups (SHGs) in Uttar Pradesh, the government bodies will integrate their services so that the products made by women artisans can be delivered nationwide. The initiative was announced by the Union Minister for Railways and Communications, Ashwini Vaishnaw, who says the move will also improve the ongoing One District One Product Scheme (ODOP) of the UP government.
“Indian Railway and India Post are two major institutions that have evolved a lot with the demands of time and technology. As per the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, both these departments should work closely in a more integrated manner. I want this integration to begin from Uttar Pradesh,” Vaishnaw revealed during an event held at the general post office (GPO) in Lucknow on January 6, 2022. The minister added that over 12 lakh Indian Railways employees and over two lakh India Post employees can together provide one of the world’s best delivery systems that can boost the trade for women artisans and SHGs.
“The minister asked senior officials of India Post and Indian Railways to work out a method for better integration of services,” Kaushalendra Kumar Sinha, the chief postmaster general for UP, said. The move will not only push forward the existing long-distance delivery system that works via trains but will also expand the market of women SHGs to the farthest corners of the nation. Given that there are more than 53,000 registered women SHGs in UP as per government records, this initiative could indeed provide a major boost to their trade.
According to government records, more than half of the women SHGs in UP sell their products—which range from bangles and decorative pieces to food products—at throwaway prices at local markets because of a lack of proper marketing that can increase their reach. The integrated services of Indian Railways and India Post may just address these issues and increase the support to women artisans and their SHGs.