Raipur, The Chhattisgarh government, fulfilling a key promise made under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “guarantees,” has re-entrusted the manufacturing of supplementary nutrition food, ‘Ready-to-Eat,’ to women self-help groups (SHGs). Raigarh district has become the first in the state to begin production under this new scheme.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai formally launched the initiative by handing over contract letters to 10 women SHGs in Raigarh. The groups have since set up the required machinery and started production at a new unit in Gram Panchayat Kotarliya. Finance Minister OP Choudhary inaugurated the unit on Independence Day, directing the women to maintain strict quality standards. He stated that the model, starting from Raigarh, will be replicated across all districts of Chhattisgarh.

Chief Minister Sai said the initiative will strengthen both nutrition delivery at Anganwadi centres and the financial position of women. “Our target is to create 3 crore ‘Lakhpati Didis’ across the country, and Chhattisgarh is moving rapidly in this direction. The women of Raigarh have taken a commendable lead,” he said.

In Raigarh, the 10 selected SHGs will supply 2,709 Anganwadi centres across blocks including Raigarh Urban, Raigarh Rural, Pusaur, Kharsia, Gharghoda, Tamnar, Lalunga, Mukdega, Dharamjaygarh, and Kapu. The groups are being provided capital subsidies under the Central government’s Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprise (PMFME) scheme to support their operations.

The project, which began as a pilot in six districts—Bastar, Dantewada, Balodabazar, Korba, Raigarh, and Surajpur—marks a significant policy shift from a centralised production model to a community-based, local enterprise. It also directly aligns with the national ‘Lakhpati Didi’ mission, which aims to transform rural women into entrepreneurs.

According to officials, the programme is designed as a vehicle for socio-economic change, in addition to addressing malnutrition. By decentralising production, the government expects improved quality monitoring, greater community involvement, and timely distribution of nutritious food to children and mothers. The state government intends to replicate the Raigarh model across the state, creating a new synergy between women’s empowerment and child welfare.