BMC's woman empowerment initiative in Mumbai: 1,000 sqft market spaces for self-help groups

Mumbai: The BMC has sent a list of markets managed by it, where women self-help groups(SHGs) will be allotted commercial spaces to sell their handmade products.

Planning a significant push to women empowerment under the Mumbai beautification programme, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has asked BMC chief Iqbal Singh Chahal to earmark 1,000 sqft commercial space for women SHGs in the marketplaces managed by the civic body. During the launch of the beautification programme last month, Mr Chahal had announced that the BMC will develop six of its market like malls and discussed the idea of allotting spaces to women SHGs.

Aim of the initiative

The move is aimed at boosting the small businesses of these groups as the space will give them an opportunity to grab more eyeballs for their handmade products. The BMC's Market Department has already sent a list of the markets identified for these spaces to the government. 

There are 92 BMC-managed markets across the city, which in total have 1,700 galas. Meanwhile, the civic body has already incorporated the idea of allotting commercial spaces to women self-help groups in the redevelopment plans of Gopi Tank, Kranti Singh Nana Patil Market, Mirza Galib and Lokmanya Tilak markets.

According to the list, some of the markets chosen for the plan are Tulsiwadi in Tardeo division, Mhapalawadi and Shitala Devi Market in Mumbai Central division, and Santacruz and Chandivali in North Central Mumbai, etc.

Total no. of BMC markets

92

Galas

1,700

Markets to be redeveloped

Gopi Tank, Kranti Singh Nana Patil Market, Mirza Ghalib & Lokmanya Tilak

Revamp to be on par with glitzy malls