Patna: In a major push towards rural women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship, the state govt is set to establish Jeevika Sudha sales outlets in all 8,053 gram panchayats across the state. The initiative aims to provide women associated with Jeevika with opportunities for self-employment and enable them to earn a sustainable livelihood without having to leave their villages.The outlets will be entirely managed by Jeevika women, who will sell milk, curd, ghee, paneer and other Sudha dairy products. The initiative is also expected to improve access to quality dairy products in rural areas while strengthening the village economy, rural development department officials said on Wednesday.According to the rural development department, the implementation process is progressing rapidly. Applications have been received from 7,821 panchayats for setting up the outlets. Of these, shortlisting has been completed in 7,129 panchayats, while the final selection of beneficiaries has been completed in 6,933 panchayats.At the district level, consent letters of 2,449 applicants have been uploaded. In the first phase, 3,697 families have also been identified for the initiative.To ensure that financial constraints do not prevent women from starting their businesses, the govt will provide financial assistance of up to Rs 60,000 under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana for initial preparations and setting up the outlets.Jeevika organisations will assist women in the selection process and completion of documentation, while the Bihar State Milk Cooperative Federation (Comfed) will ensure a regular supply of milk and other dairy products to the outlets.The govt expects the initiative to create a network of women-led rural enterprises, generate local employment and improve the financial independence of thousands of families. By placing women at the centre of the dairy retail network, the scheme also aims to transform them from livelihood beneficiaries into independent entrepreneurs.Rural development minister Shravan Kumar said, “Our resolve is to ensure that every rural woman in the state becomes financially strong and moves forward as an active participant in the mainstream of development. Establishing Jeevika Sudha sales outlets is a historic step towards women’s empowerment. It will create new self-employment opportunities for thousands of Jeevika women. Women in villages will no longer remain limited to earning a livelihood; they will emerge as successful entrepreneurs and take a leading role in the progress of their families and society.”The initiative is expected to give a fresh boost to rural entrepreneurship while expanding the reach of the Sudha brand across Bihar’s villages.