Lucknow. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched “Akanksha Haat 2024” at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan in Lucknow. On this occasion, CM Yogi said that this event is an important step towards promoting women entrepreneurship in the state and providing a platform to self-help groups to showcase their creativity and products. Akanksha Haat 2024 is being organized with the efforts of Akanksha Samiti of Uttar Pradesh, which is active in all 75 districts of the state and is committed to making women self-reliant. Inaugurating the program, CM Yogi praised all the women entrepreneurs and self-help groups. He said, “This effort of Akanksha Samiti for the economic empowerment of women is commendable. This event will not only encourage women entrepreneurship but will also help in giving recognition to local products at national and international level. The Chief Minister said that our festivals and traditions are part of our heritage. Through events like Akanksha Haat, our culture and traditions remain alive and inspire the new generation. This will not only give the women entrepreneurs of Uttar Pradesh an opportunity to learn new skills and ideas, but will also help them expand their business on a larger scale.
The Chief Minister also described Akanksha Haat as an important platform for the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme. He said that women’s self-help groups can improve the quality, packaging, and marketing of local products through ODOP. “This event will not only empower the local enterprises but will also give recognition to the products under ODOP in the national and international market. Emphasizing the need to highlight positive changes, the Chief Minister said that the media should also give prominence to positive works promoting women empowerment and entrepreneurship. When we highlight the positive aspects, the wave of change in the society will accelerate and more and more women will move in this direction. The Chief Minister said that earlier people had a perception about Uttar Pradesh that nothing could happen here, but when Uttar Pradesh organized its International Trade Show last year in Noida, Greater Noida, then people started thinking about Uttar Pradesh. Saw the changing picture. This year was its second season of trade show, it was attended by more than 5 lakh people. More people from all over the country want to come to this, I think Akanksha Samiti can play a very good role in this.
Appreciating their contribution, the Chief Minister said that by promoting such efforts of women empowerment, the state can be taken in the direction of self-reliance. It is noteworthy that Akanksha Samiti is an association of wives of Indian Administrative Service officers of Uttar Pradesh, which is dedicated to the welfare and empowerment of women of the state. The main objective of this committee, working in all 75 districts of the state, is to provide economic opportunities to women’s self-employment and self-help groups. Through Akanksha Haat 2024, this committee is providing an opportunity to women to showcase their products, skills, and crafts, which will enable them to strengthen their families and society economically. Products from different states of the country including Jammu and Kashmir are also being displayed through Akanksha Haat, this will provide an opportunity for cultural and economic exchange.