Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh on Thursday laid the foundation of two Ima (women’s) markets at Sekmai and Kanglatongbi in Imphal West district.
Women of different communities residing in the area will get an opportunity to become self-reliant by trading different products in these two markets.
“Attending the foundation stone laying ceremony for 2 Ima/Women Markets at Sekmai and Kanglatongbi in Imphal West today to empower the women of different communities residing the area in their commercial activities and self-reliance, providing them immense economic opportunities,” N Biren Singh tweeted on Thursday.
Attending the foundation stone laying ceremony for 2 Ima/Women Markets at Sekmai and Kanglatongbi in Imphal West today to empower the women of different communities residing the area in their commercial activities and self reliance, providing them immense economic opportunities. pic.twitter.com/71HwvpxIUj
— N.Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) January 7, 2021
The chief minister also said that seven newly established women’s markets have started functioning in the hill districts of the state.
Another16 women’s markets are in the process of being set up in different districts across Manipur.
The Manipur government had in August last year provided working capital loans to 817 women vendors of different districts to help them in resuming their vending activities after the Covid-19 induced nation-wide lockdown was lifted.
A total of 368 street vendors of the state had also received working capital loans under the Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor’s Atmanirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the PM SVANidhi in June last year.
The special micro-credit scheme offers affordable working capital loans to street vendors to resume their livelihoods that have been affected due to the lockdown.