SHGs to supply eggs to noon meal centres

With the introduction of the new package in the noon meal scheme with effect from July 15 by the recently-formed government in Tamil Nadu, women self-help groups (SHGs) across the state are gearing up to set up poultry farms.

Under the new package, eggs will be supplied to the noon meal centres twice a week, which is a two-fold increase "� ie 5.6 crore eggs a month by the National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC), Namakkal zone.

Addressing a press conference, Poongothai Aladi Aruna, minister for social welfare, said that the surplus amount of eggs to be supplied would be taken care of by the women SHGs, and the ministry, along with the Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women (TNCDW) and other non-profit organisations, would assist them in setting up poultry farms.

On the sidelines of a function organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-Coimbatore, and TNCDW, Aruna said that women SHGs should be imparted training in packaging and marketing activities, besides skill development.

Distributing the certificates to candidates who had undergone training in computerised numerically-controlled (CNC) machine operation, the minister said that the CII should provide CNC training to more women and help them become successful entrepreneurs.

CII-Coimbatore aims to provide CNC training to 1,000 women in two years' time.

In the first phase, 57 women were trained in the district and were employed by leading engineering industries in the city.