UDHAMPUR, OCTOBER 22: Deputy Commissioner Udhampur, Saloni Rai, today inaugurated the ‘DIDI KI RASOI’ canteen here in the DC Office Complex. The canteen offers a variety of home-cooked meals at affordable prices and is being operated by Women self-help Groups created under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihood Mission.
The initiative holds twin purposes of encouraging business activities of NULM Women Self Help Groups and to provide affordable and nutritious meals to government employees, visitors, DC office staff, and the general public, promoting health and well-being in the district.
Dignitaries present at the inauguration included Auditor EDB Bank SL Bharadwaj; Manager of EDB Deepak Kumar Joshi; government officials and representatives from the District Urban Development Agency (DUDA), including Harish Verma, Manager of Social Mobilization besides members of the community, along with organizers from different self-help groups, also participated in the event.
Briefing the media, the DC praised the initiative, highlighting its significant role in promoting women’s empowerment. She applauded the efforts of Project Officer Jaffar Abass Bhatt for his leadership in launching the canteen and encouraged broader community support for such initiatives.
Jaffar Abass Bhatt noted that this is the second ‘Didi Ki Rasoi’ canteen inaugurated under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission in Udhampur District. He expressed his gratitude to the DC for her continued support and emphasized the canteen’s potential to provide sustainable income opportunities to self-help group members and staff.
This initiative aligns with the goals of DAY-NULM, which focuses on uplifting the urban poor by enhancing sustainable livelihood opportunities through skill development. The ‘Didi Ki Rasoi’ canteen marks a significant step toward women’s empowerment and self-sufficiency in Udhampur, with additional canteens planned to be inaugurated across the district in the near future.
