NEDUMPANA APPAREL PARK EMPOWERMENT OF RURAL WOMEN A CASE STUDY Introduction Nedumpana grama panchayat in Kollam district is the

he best performing panchayat in the district during 2011-12. Nedumapana grama panchayat comes under Mukhathala block panchayat with a total area of 28.06 square kilometres. The panchayat has a total population of 47488. Out of this, male population is 23224 and female population is 24264. Total scheduled caste population in the grama panchayat is 5770. Nedumpana grama panchcyat has 23 wards. After the commencement of peoples campaign for decentralisation of power in Kerala since 1996, Nedumpana grama panchayat has taken earnest effort to translate the dream of self-sufficient villages of Mahatma Gandhi into reality. During the initial stages of decentralisation itself, Nedumpana grama panchayat identified its strength and weakness and focused on two important sections to achieve social security and inclusive growth - Agriculture and allied sectors and industrial sector. textile products as per the demand of the modern market by which the income of the traditional weavers increased and helped to sustain the traditional industry substantially besides providing employment opportunities for rural employed, especially for unemployed women among BPL and SC families.

Statement of the Problem Even though 75 per cent of the total area of the panchayat is suitable for agriculture, the cultivable area is declining day by day. The spread of rubber cultivation has adversely affected the cultivation of paddy, coconut and others. In order to enhance the employment opportunities and living standards of the rural population, the panchayat authorities thinking about setting up of a rural business hub a concept put forward by Ministry of Panchayat Raj, Government of India, involve the partnership of public-private and panchayat with a view to help the rural mass of India to attain self-reliant livelihood. The rural resources both human and natural will be judiciously managed to enhance the employment opportunity and living standards of the rural population. The traditional handloom sector failed in the area of technological upgradation, value added product development, diversification and effective marketing management. On the backdrop of this pathetic condition Nedumpana Apparel Park paved the way for the upgradation of handloom industry and other

About the Project

The project involved the setting up of a cluster centre for apparel manufacturing mainly readymade garments, kids wears, uniforms, textile carpets etc. The cluster centre has a facility to engage a minimum of 50 skilled entrepreneurs with modern automatic electric sewing, cutting, packing machineries and technologies. The infrastructure was provided by Nedumpana grama panchayat in the 1st phase. Machineries, tools and other movable assets were installed with the help of Kudumbashree Mission. Training and capacity building components were executed by Kudumbashree and Syndicate Institute of Rural Development (SIRD), Kottiyam, Kollam (Establishment of Syndicate Bank). Besides this 50 employees got intensive finishing training from Kinfra Apparel Park, Kazhakkoottam. Project Components

The Nedumpana grama panchayat had identified and selected 50 beneficiaries within the age group of 20-40 suited for the project with tailoring skill and artistic talents, among BPL and scheduled caste families.

Training for both entrepreneurship development and skill development were arranged by Kudumbashree mission in association with SIRD, Kottiyam and the Sewing Machine Operators. They have also undergone intensive finishing training from: 1. Apparel Training and Design Centre, KINFRA Thiruvananthapuram 2. Isha Learning Systems Pvt Ltd, Bangalore

Basic Infrastructure The grama panchayat had provided land and building free of cost Land: 600 m2 Office room and two storied show room and godown building @ 25 m2 each Permanent workshed (250 m2), generator, sanitation facilities and other tools and furniture

Electrical fittings, machineries, tools and furniture had been made available by Kudumbashree where 10 per cent through bank finance and 90 per cent by grant from Kudumbashree mission. The sources of fund are given in Table 2.

Raw materials/Working capital Raw materials are supplied by private partners according to their needs for finished goods and whenever necessary the unit will procure directly from concerned factories/agencies and the working capital is arranged through bank finance.

Cluster centre is managed by a committee(Managing Committee) chaired by the Panchayat President, comprising of the charge officer, Chair Person of CDS, two representative of the employees and one nominee of the Panchayat Committee. They will manage the unit under the general direction of the District Level Governing Body chaired by the President, District Panchayat and co-chaired by District Collector. District Mission Co-Ordinator, Kudumbashree will be the Convener. President of the Nedumpana panchayat, General Manager DIC, President of Ithikkara block panchayat and BDO are the other members.

Marketing is mainly done by private partners and small industrial associations of Kerala. Their branded products will be manufactured as per their standards and parameters. Raw material will be supplied by the agencies themselves. Products in the brand name NAP STAR is marketed through the marketing section of NAP itself and Kudumbashree state marketing consortium at Calicut. Five beneficiaries were selected for doing the marketing work and they will be given 1 per cent of the cost of sale as incentive. The success story of Nedumpana Apparel Park should be highlighted on the backdrop of retarded growth in productive sector, elsewhere in Kerala.

The major findings of the study are Women empowerment through apparel park enhance employment, especially in rural women, it improves the standard of living of the people in Nedumpana panchayat (directly and indirectly). It helps in the creation of entrepreneurial qualities among rural women. It paved the way for the production of diversified products, and selfsufficiently among women. It increases the income of the rural women. Marketing facilities increased. It helps in the upgradation of handloom industry in Nedumpana panchayat. Empowerment of women through apparel park helps to reduce gender inequality, it helps to reduce the poverty among rural poor in Nedumpana panchayath. The interference of Kudumbashree units helps in the production of high quality products. The important suggestions are The management has to find out alternative source of raw materials inorder to ensure uninterrupted supply. The Kudumbashree units have to provide training facilities to each and every worker in the unit for making better quality products. The panchayat authorities has to provide women friendly environment in the unit. The government should provide financial support for the widening of the unit. The management has to find out alternative marketing sources to sell their products.