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Shimoga: Speaker of Legislative Assembly Kagodu Timmappa stressed on the need to create awareness among rural women on the jobs that can be undertaken on private agriculture land and homesteads under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS)

He was speaking after the inaugurating the Silver Jubilee Year of Shimoga Multipurpose Social Service Society(SMSSS) and the Sthree Bandhu Multipurpose Souharda Cooperative established to mark the silver jubilee of SMSSS here on satarday, 28 December, 2013.

Initially, community works were executed under MNREGS. With the objective to bring more number of people under the purview of the scheme, the government has allowed works like construction of wells, canals, bunds, vermi-compost pits on private agriculture land, and construction of toilets and cattle shed at the premises of the house of job card holders. The rural women should take up animal husbandry by getting cattle shed constructed under MNREGS, he said.

Mr. Thimmappa said that with the objective to help more number of rural families to get toilets, Nirmala Bharata Abhiyan and MNREGS have been converged. The expense incurred towards labour for construction of toilets will be paid under MNREGS. The open defecation widely practiced in rural areas has resulted in serious health problems. The rural families should come forward to get toilets constructed under MNREGS. The women should motivate their family members in this regard, he said.

He also stressed on the need to create awareness among the women against the superstitious practices.

Often the women are subjected many forms on exploitation by those who propagate superstitious practices.

The women should develop the courage to question the meaningless and unscientific practices imposed on them, he said.

Mr. Thimmappa said that, women self help groups(SHGs) should not restrict themselves to the work of extending credit and recovering it. The SHGs should strive to provide vocational training for their members and thereby help them to become self reliant, he said.

Later, Thimmappa was honoured on the occasion. Fr. Veeresh V. Moras, briefed the audience the achievement of the Society ever since it came into existence in 1989 in the empowerment of the downtrodden. Sthree Bandhu Cooperative is established to mark the silver Jubilee of SMSSS, he said. He announced various schemes and programs for the poor people.

Rt. Rev. Dr. Henry D' Souza, the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Shimoga and the President of SMSSS presided over the event. Shimoga Urban MLA K B Prasanna Kumar,  Shimoga Rural MLA Sharada Pooryanaik, Deputy Commissioner Vipul Bansal, SMSSS Vice President Fr. Felix J Noronha, Executive Director Fr. Veeresh V. Moras,  Sthree Bandhu President Precilla Martis were present on the occasion.