Goa marked six years of Swayampurna Goa with the ‘Seva Ki Kahani: Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Swayampurna Goa’ programme at Betoda, Ponda. The programme brought together farmers, women entrepreneurs, Self-Help Groups, rural entrepreneurs and beneficiaries to showcase initiatives in agriculture, rural development, livelihoods and grassroots delivery of government schemes.
A major highlight of the programme was the launch of the ‘Goa Fresh’ brand logo and packaging prototype by Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant.
The initiative aims to give Goa’s agricultural produce a distinct identity and strengthen its branding and market opportunities. The leaders also visited stalls and pavilions showcasing agricultural products, government schemes and local enterprises.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Sawant said the six-year journey of Swayampurna Goa reflects the State’s efforts to take government schemes and services closer to villages and ensure that their benefits reach people at the grassroots.
Dr. Sawant also highlighted the growing role of Self-Help Groups and women-led enterprises in Goa’s rural economy. He spoke about the revolving fund of more than ₹480 crore supporting Self-Help Groups, village-level entrepreneurship, the Lakhpati Didi initiative and training opportunities for women. He also highlighted efforts to connect local produce with wider markets, including through APEDA, and the contribution of farmers and Nari Shakti to Goa’s rural economy.
The programme also saw the launch of the ‘Seva Ki Kahani’ informative booklet, highlighting initiatives undertaken for the welfare of Goa. The Farmers Producer Organisation (FPO) Policy was also launched, along with an MoU exchange between the National Institute of Hydrology and the Directorate of Agriculture. The Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) was launched through a video presentation.
Several farmer, dairy and rural development initiatives were showcased during the programme. Through ICAR, petrol-operated water pumps were distributed to two farmers, while Medicine and Mineral Mixture Kits were provided to two dairy farmers. Three Lakhpati Didis were felicitated. Cheques were also presented to 18 Bank Linkage Committee members, 10 Village Organisations under PM-FME and six Integrated Farming Clusters CLF Chairpersons.
Sanction orders for Pink Electric Rickshaws were presented to 13 Self-Help Group members. A Swayampurna Mitra and two Village Panchayats were felicitated, along with a progressive farmer. Cheques towards agricultural subsidies were also distributed to beneficiaries. Awards were presented to winners of the Goa Fresh Logo Design Competition and Packaging Solution Design Competition.
The programme was attended by Union Minister of State Shripad Naik, MP Rajya Sabha Sadanand Tanavde, Minister Sudhin Dhavlikar, Minister Subash Shirodkar, Minister Ramesh Tawadkar, Chief Secretary V Candavelou, Speaker Assembly Ganesh Gaonkar, MLA Deviya Rane and Premendra Shet, among others.
