Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Tuesday disbursed Rs 3,000 crore in bank-linked credit to 26,000 self-help group members across the state, news agency Press Trust of India reported.Of the total financial assistance, more than 9,000 self-help group members in Erode district received Rs 1,110 crore at an event held at in Perundurai.An official told PTI that the initiative was aimed at encouraging women’s collectives to contribute to the state economy and reflected the government’s commitment to supporting their talent. Thousands of people attended the event.Before distributing the funds, Vijay visited an exhibition featuring products made by women’s self-help groups from different parts of Tamil Nadu.

The displays highlighted their work and manufacturing skills. The exhibition included traditional dolls, processed agricultural products and indigenous handicrafts.

The Paalmalar group from the Nilgiris district displayed traditional Toda tribal embroidery.Vijay interacted with members of several self-help groups, including the Anbu group from Kanyakumari, the Sri Selva Vinayaga group from Thiruvannamalai and the Angala Parameswari collective from Erode. He also examined natural-fibre clothing, bamboo utility products and handloom bedspreads made by the Brahma Kamalam and Vetrivel groups.

He inspected organic food products, including nutritious millet snacks and fresh ghee presented by the Sri Velmurugan and Siva Vishnu groups. Decorative palm-leaf artwork made by the Kanthariyamman and Thillai Nachiyiamman groups was also on display.The chief minister stopped at catering stalls run by the Olichudar and Eswaran self-help groups from Erode and the Nilgiris.

He drank tea prepared by the members and paid for it himself.Vijay also watched members of the Carmel Annai group make eco-friendly home decor products from banana fibre. The Veeramangai Velu Nachiyar group demonstrated traditional clay pottery.He bought a finished banana-fibre product and a wooden sculpture carved in his likeness, paying the craftswomen at the venue.The event combined the distribution of Rs 3,000 crore in credit to self-help group members across Tamil Nadu with an exhibition showcasing products made by women’s collectives from several districts.- Ends