Lanjigarh/ Kalahandi (Kalinga Voice) : Vedanta Limited, Lanjigarh, India’s premier producer of metallurgical grade alumina, inaugurated a Tailoring Training Centre at Ashrampada, under Lanjigarh block. The Centre has been set up by the company, in association with Shaktimayee Foundation, which is an apex body of Vedanta’s Sakhi Project for women empowerment.It aims to diversify avenues for sustainable livelihood and micro-entrepreneurship among rural women, residing in the vicinity of the alumina refinery unit.
The inauguration of the training unit was graced by Mr. Jitendra Kumar Mishra, Block Development Officer, Lanjigarh, along with Ms. Mani Majhi, Sarpanch, Lanjigarh and Mrs. Jyoshna Mishra, ICDS Supervisor. Driven by the objective toenable women through skill development and financial empowerment, this Centre will provide training to the women of the region so that they can start their own ventures and establish themselves as a micro-entrepreneurs. In the first phase, more than 30 trainees hailing from various villages in the district, have been enrolled.
Talking about this initiative, Mr. Rakesh Mohan, Chief Operating Officer, Vedanta Limited, Lanjigarh unit said, “We at Vedantabelieve that one should acquire a certain set of skills to become ‘aatmanirbhar’. It is the beginning of a new journey for the first batch of trainees towards self-reliance. They can start their own tailoring centers after upskilling themselves through this Centre and strive for financial independence. Women empowerment is one of the thrust areas of our community development initiatives. This program will boost our efforts towards this end and help empower the women of this region by providing them with a sustained source of income. We are happy to play a part in the life-changing journey of these trainees and hope to see an increase in the number of trainees in the upcoming batches so that we can together build a self-reliant India.”
Acknowledging Vedanta’s efforts,Mr. Jitendra Kumar Mishra, Block Development Officer, Lanjigarhsaid, “I am glad that Vedanta, through Shaktimayee Foundation has provided the opportunity and a platform to the women of Lanjigarh to grow and be empowered. This project provides these women the opportunity to learn, collaborate and be self-sufficient with a new avenue of livelihood. I am confident that once the trainees utilize this programfor capacity building and skill development, they will not just shape a better future for themselves but also set an example for others.”
Vedanta Lanjigarh, as part of its bid towards women empowerment, has offered many livelihood enhancement, skill development and capacity building opportunities over the years.The company has also taken up several new livelihood projects that includes backyard poultry, mushroom cultivation, horticulture through Mo-Bagicha program, Saura Tribal Art revival etc.During the period of lockdown, it also encouraged the members of various women’s self-help groups to stitch masks for mass distribution, which provided them with an alternate source of income during distressing times.
Vedanta’s social interventions in the domains of sustainable livelihood, women empowerment, quality education, health, water and sanitation, bio-investment and community infrastructure reach out to a total of 69 villages in Lanjigarh and nearby areas, benefiting about a lakh people in a year. It empowers more than 3000 women from 305 self-help groups (SHGs), provides healthcare services to about 30,000 people annually, gives educational support to more than 2800 students, has planted more than 5.4 lakh trees in the community, and built 500 plus infrastructural projects at community level.
Vedanta is the largest producer of aluminium in India and remains the premier manufacturer of metallurgical grade alumina. The company operates a 2 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) capacity alumina refinery in Lanjigarh (Kalahandi district, Odisha), India since 2007 and an associated 90 MW captive power plant.
