Ranchi, September 11, 2026: Jharkhand Rural Development, Rural Works and Panchayati Raj Minister Deepika Pandey Singh inaugurated the Palash Didi Cafe at the campus of Raksha Shakti University in Ranchi.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister said that the Palash Didi Cafe is not merely a centre for serving delicious and nutritious Jharkhandi cuisine, but also an important initiative to recognise the skills, hard work, dignity and self-reliance of rural women.
She said rural women are first provided training according to their skills, followed by access to loans and financial assistance. Their products and services are now being connected with markets to create sustainable opportunities for self-employment.
The minister said continuous efforts are being made through the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) to provide wider markets, better recognition and fair prices for local and traditional products prepared by women self-help groups under the Palash initiative.
She said the government is working to ensure that products and food items prepared by Palash women are given priority at government events and in various institutions. The government also aims to expand Palash Didi Cafes across the state so that more rural women can access employment and self-employment opportunities locally.
Deepika Pandey Singh said the new cafe is another strong link in the expansion of this initiative. It will provide people an opportunity to experience the traditional flavours of Jharkhand while creating a strong platform for rural women to showcase their skills and products to new consumers.
She also announced that Palash Mart will be launched in the next phase of the initiative. The first Palash Mart in the state is targeted to be inaugurated in Ranchi within the next six months. She further said that another Palash Didi Cafe will soon be started at Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park.
The minister said such Palash centres at various institutions, public places and prominent locations across the state will help rural women’s products gain wider recognition and access to new markets. The initiative will also strengthen the vision of taking local products from “Local to Global.”
JSLPS CEO Ananya Mittal, IAS officer Anjali Yadav and other JSLPS officials were present on the occasion.
