Ambikapur. ‘Women Entrepreneur Multipurpose Cooperative Society’ (Mabs), run by a group of 250 tribal women in Hasdev Aranya area, has sent invitation letters to the newly elected tribal MLAs coming to Chhattisgarh. Four tribal MLAs from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are reaching Hasdev Aranya area. As soon as this information was received, these tribal women working in MBS have invited them to look after the livelihood promotion on their behalf with the help of Rajasthan State Electricity Generation Corporation. It is the wish of these women that since the tribal MLA will visit the villages of Hasdev and meet the people to check the misleading information being spread on social media about Hasdev Aranya. During this time, all the tribal MLAs should also come to their village and meet and discuss with them.
MBS President Amita Singh Tekam, in her special invitation letter given on 3 February 2024 to Madhya Pradesh’s Sailana MLA Kamleshwar Dodiyar and three Rajasthan MLAs, Dhariyavad MLA Thawar Chand Damor, Aspur MLA Umesh Damor and Chaurasi MLA Rajkumar Rot, has written that “Surguja Women Entrepreneur Multipurpose Cooperative Society (Limited) (MABS), located in a remote tribal area in the Hasdev area of Rajasthan, is a cooperative society of your tribal sisters living in the district, which is under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of Rajasthan State Electricity Generation Corporation Limited. Was manufactured in the year 2017.
It is further written in the letter that, today, hundreds of sisters here are empowering their families by getting livelihood with the annual income of about Rs 1.5 crore through the initiative of various commercial products in their area. Among the works being done by MBS, the main and biggest work is in the only English medium school of the Central Education Board, run by Rajasthan State Electricity Board for the modern education of the tribal children here, where our children also study. There is a contract for preparing free refreshments and midday meals and sewing uniforms for more than 800 children studying. Apart from this, the spice industry, sanitary pad industry, dairy, phenyl and hand washing soap, small rice mill for cleaning rice, vermicompost manufacturing and mushroom production are also run by our MUBSS sisters. These efforts of ours have been greatly appreciated and promoted by government and non-government organizations. Apart from this, for the coming generations, Rajasthan Electricity Corporation is providing free education, books, uniform and transportation to hundreds of children through English medium CBSE school of a modern education system. At the same time, arrangements have been made for separate classes for weak children and coaching from experts for competitive examinations and a tab for online coaching. Our family is also benefited from institutions like dispensaries and farmer clubs run by Rajasthan Electricity Corporation.
It was also written in the letter that you, our tribal brothers, are representing the local people from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and we have received information that you are coming to Surguja to meet the tribals. We take this opportunity to cordially invite you to meet and discuss with our members and visit our business establishments. We request all of you brothers to see and understand the successful enterprises that the sisters living in Surguja have created with the help of the Electricity Corporation of the Government of Rajasthan, so that you do not get involved in social media by a handful of outsiders at huge expense. Don’t be misled by the false propaganda being spread.
Women have also shared the information that during the tenure of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Government of India had allotted the PEKB mine located in Surguja to the Rajasthan government of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, which was implemented during the time of the then Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. It is noteworthy that the PEKB mine has been supported by the changing state and central governments from time to time in the interest of crores of electricity consumers of Rajasthan and thousands of families of Surguja district. One reason behind this is that the Electricity Corporation of Rajasthan has spread more greenery in the Hasdev forest by planting lakhs of trees through a continuous and extensive tree plantation campaign.
Amita Singh Tekam told in the letter that in this inaccessible area of Hasdev, there is no other means of livelihood except mines and now we cannot depend only on the forest by collecting Mahua and other things. We also want our children to study in English medium schools and to be provided with good medical facilities. We also want bikes and cars and good food. We also have full right to live in pucca houses and it cannot be built by collecting Mahua. He said that we should also be provided with different facilities so that we can live at par with others.
Now it remains to be seen whether the MLAs accept the invitation of these women and join their discussion or just inspire them in politics like other agitators who come in their routine.
All you tribal MLA brothers are welcome to Hasdev. We look forward to constructive discussions with you. Want to focus your attention on the development of women and the real problems related to them. Your tribal sisters…!!@mla_umesh_aspur @THAVARCHANDMEE4 @KamleshwarDodi2 @roat_mla pic.twitter.com/8D0RyzyGWg
— MUBSS_CG (@MUBSS_CG) February 3, 2024