Bokaro: ESL Steel Limited, a Vedanta Group Company, has launched a mushroom production unit here in Chandankyari Block of the district. This will run by a women Self Help Group (SHG) under project JIVIKA in partnership with Drishtee Foundation. The aim of the company is to empower women living in surroundings of the ESL plant, so that they can earn their livelihood and become independent through this project.
Initially 30 SHG mushroom producing beneficiaries will be involved, of which numbers will gradually rise later. Another 70 SHG are planned who will be the primary customers of the spawn unit producers. CEO, ESL Steel Limited, Pankaj Malhan said, “the mushroom production unit will help the SHG to work and grow together as one unit. The entire project would be run by women to make them self-sufficient. This is a progressive step in making the women independent and confident enough to run their families. ESL is proud to make rapid progress towards community development and shall continue to do so”.
The spawn production unit concept is based on the idea of making women entrepreneurs involved in producing spawn for the mushroom cultivators. The unit includes making of spawn using several raw materials under the watchful eyes of women already trained by mushroom experts. District Program Manager, Jharkhand State Livelihood Society, Anita Kerketta added, “the mushroom production unit enables women to lead a more respectable life and have a secure future”. She added, that after getting trained by experts, they have already gained knowledge and completed the first round of spawn production.
The event was inaugurated by Malhan in the presence of Kerketta, CPO, S.Venkataraman, head community relations, Ashish Ranjan, stakeholder management, Sanjay Sinha, Sitaram Mahto (Ex – Mukhiya, Siyaljori) and team of Drishtee Foundation and SHG members. ESL steel Limited is located in a small village Siyaljori in Bokaro. ESL, a 1.5 MTPA capacity plant, is a manufacturer of pig iron, billets, TMT bars, wire rods, and ductile iron pipes.
