Chief Secy-conceived DRHs generate over Rs 30 lakh sales in 2022

Jammu, Dec 18: The Chief Secretary-conceived District Rural Haats (DRHs) established across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, have generated over Rs 30 lakh in sales in the current year.
It is worth mentioning here that the DRHs are the first-of-its-kind sales outlets established by the Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihood Mission (JKRLM) with the help of funds provided by the Department of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Government of J&K to enable the rural artisans to earn a decent livelihood in the safest environment with no involvement of middlemen. The idea to establish the DRHs was mooted by Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta on March 8, 2022, at Convention Centre, Jammu, and the DRHs were officially e-inaugurated by LG Manoj Sinha on June 29, 2022, from SKICC Srinagar.
A JKRLM official said that after the e-inauguration of the District Rural Haats, the Heads of the Departments (HoDs) were instructed to submit the proposals for the establishment of the DRHs.
“In fact, the marketplace has to be taken to village level as Block/Village Rural Haats in an attempt to safeguard the rural economy in the most sustainable manner in the coming days,” the official said.
She said the District Rural Haats are now functional in all the 20 districts either in permanent or temporary premises under stringent monitoring by the Mission Director JKRLM.
“Since the inauguration, Rs 30.47 lakhs sales have been generated by the DRHs which are functional in 8 permanent and 14 temporary premises,” the JKRLM official said.
According to the official, the permanent premises are in Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Kishtwar, Kupwara, Pulwama and Bandipora districts while the temporary premises are in Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Doda, Rajouri, Poonch, Shopian, Srinagar, Pulwama, Ganderbal, Kulgam, Budgam, Anantnag and Baramulla districts.