Mission Shakti cafes set up in all 17 blocks of Sundargarh district have become the most popular among the people in the areas of operation. They not only provide delicious and hygienic food to it's consumers but it is also helping women workers to earn decently.

The cafes provide a complete meal to people from remote areas who visit the block offices for various works. The first Mission Shakti cafe was set up by the District Administration at Kuanrmunda Block under the Utkal Kitchen Initiative in association with the Mission Shakti Department and Odisha Livelihood Mission in 2021.

Similar cafes have been opened in the remaining headquarters. These cafes provide breakfast, lunch, and evening food stuffs at such affordable rates without compromising the quality or challenging the hygiene standards.

A SHG member, Nilima Kullu who has some connection with the cafe in Kura block revealed that they were trained in the preparation, storage and preservation of the food in line maintaining the hygiene around.

The women are successful in running the cafe and are able to make some good money out of this activity. Earlier, finding good and healthy food items was similar to the imagination of a wooden iron or dry water. However, the opening of the cafes has alleviated the ordeals.

These cafes assume significance in the backdrop of the Health and Family Welfare Department while also maintaining the standards defined by the Food Safety and Standard (FSS) Act of 2006.

Mission Shakti upholds the idea of women empowerment and that they are the key to social transformation. Not even a single unit of the country can proceed further unless backed by the support of the female population of the country. The government is ready to incentivise this initiative by providing financial support, skill development workshops, and new avenues of employment to the women of the State. The government plans to provide businesses worth Rs. 10,000 crores to SHG's in the next 5 years. The State Government of Odisha has prepared an outline of Rs. 2,554 crores for the Department of Mission Shakti.

Encouragement to such initiatives will help in developing a new culture in India that shall upscale the development statistics in the country.

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Reference:

• missionshakti.odisha.gov.in
• newsroomodisha.com
• newsindianexpress.com