NEW DELHI, 15 July 2016:  Harish Rawat, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, launched the ‘Women’s Entrepreneurs Park’ of Uttarakhand, at a meeting organized by FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) at Federation House.

The first industrial park in the country, exclusively for women entrepreneurs, will be located at Sitarganj in Udham Singh Nagar district of the State.

Addressing the session on ‘Uttarakhand: The Next Investment Destination for Women’,. Rawat said that the park which will be spread over 200 acres is expected attract more women entrepreneurs and help them to initiate start-ups in the State. Women who are inclined to contribute to the development and proliferation of small and medium industrial units in the State will receive government support and a specific percentage of jobs will be reserved for women in the units located in the industrial park, he said.

The Chief Minister also agreed to “examine” the FLO suggestion to offer land at concessional rates to women. He assured the women entrepreneurs that the State Government would set up a single-window umbrella organization for the benefit of units promoted by Self Help Groups and large units.

Rawat said that the Uttarakhand Government was committed to empowering women as they were a major force in improving the economic status of their families and contribute to the development of the State. “We want industrialists, particularly women entrepreneurs, to make use of the cordial industrial relations in  the State to facilitate investment,” he said, adding that the State had topped the ‘Ease of doing Buisness’ ranking from being the 23rd only 10 months ago.

Vinita Bimbhet, President, FLO, in her remarks said, “To accelerate women’s  participation in the process of economic development, the first step is to develop and promote entrepreneurship among women – and for this concerted effort is required from the Industry, government and the society.. And the second and the most important step is for the women themselves to discover their talent and unleash the entrepreneur within. FLO plays a crucial tool in sensitizing and educating the women, empowering them and bringing them to the forefront”.

Presentations by senior officials and departments of the State were made on tourism and on investment opportunities in the aviation, health and hospitality sectors. Women welfare initiatives of Uttarakhand government and schemes related to industries generating employment for women also came up for close discussion.

Image Courtesy: newsworldindia.in