Explainer Karnal: Haryana’s first Sanjha Bazar faces hiccups

Haryana’s first Sanjha Bazar in Karnal, which was launched with much fanfare for women self-help groups (SHGs) has been lying unused for the past two months, as SHGs have not shown enthusiasm due to several challenges, leading to lack of participation.

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Q What is Sanjha Bazar and why was it launched?

Sanjha Bazar is the state’s major initiative to empower women SHGs by providing a rotating marketplace to display and sell their products such as dairy goods, handmade crafts, clothes, spices, and herbal items. It is jointly managed by the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) and the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM). The bazar was inaugurated on February 24, 2024, by the then Chief Minister and current Union Power Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar.

Q What facilities were provided to the women at Sanjha Bazar?

The Karnal Municipal Corporation (KMC) developed the bazar by setting up 10 portable cabins on the Zila Parishad land. Each cabin was offered on a rental basis at Rs 100 per day. The women of SHGs were allotted stalls for one week each to ensure fair rotation and opportunity.

Q Why has Sanjha Bazar remained unused for the past two months?

The market has been unused due to lack of interest of the SHG women. No new applicants have come forward in the last two months. The major deterrents include short duration of shop allotment, travel and food costs for women from far-off rural areas. The women demanded longer stall durations –at least a month as one week was not sufficient to gain traction or sell enough products. Those travelling from villages incurred additional transport and meal expenses, making participation unviable.

Q What changes have been planned to address these challenges?

To revive the market, the authorities have chalked a model by dividing the stalls equally—50 per cent for the rural SHGs and 50 per cent for the urban SHGs. The move is aimed at improving accessibility and ensuring more consistent stall usage. The Karnal Municipal Corporation has been allotted five of the 10 shops to assign specifically to women from the urban SHGs. The proximity of these participants is expected to increase attendance and reduce logistical issues.

Q Has any women SHG come forward after the new plan?

The authorities claimed that after the new plan to run the market smoothly, four to five women SHGs come forward on Monday to start their shops. They have started setting up the shops. The authorities say rural women SHGs have started their shops and soon the urban women SHGs will start it.