Project “Pehal” becomes source of livelihood for rural women: Deputy Commissioner.
Employment provided to 500 women under Mission Pahal.
150 Self-Help Groups are stitching uniforms for government schools
Sewing centres increased from two to four
Sewing centres are being run in villages Sivian, Bajak, Jeevan Singh Wala and Raiya
Bathinda, April 28
The Project “Pehal”, being run by the Punjab Government with the objective of providing livelihood opportunities to women, has become a source of income for rural women. While women are earning by stitching uniforms for government schools, school children are also receiving quality uniforms at very affordable rates.
Deputy Commissioner Bathinda, Mr. Rajesh Dhiman, shared that under Project Pehal, run by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayats, uniforms are provided to students of government schools by the government, which are prepared by women’s Self-Help Groups. Under this project, 500 women have been provided employment, who are associated with 150 Self-Help Groups.
He further informed that earlier two centres were operational in district Bathinda—one in village Sivian under Goniana block and the other in village Bajak under Sangat block. During the year 2025–26, these two centres were given a target of stitching 40,000 uniforms. However, the women exceeded the target by producing 46,000 uniforms and earned approximately ₹3 crore. Women are paid ₹60 per uniform as wages.
He added that, encouraged by the enthusiasm of the women, two more centres have now been started in village Jeevan Singh Wala (Talwandi Sabo block) and village Raiya (Rampura block). Now, a total of 150 Self-Help Groups will produce uniforms, and it is expected that the Punjab Government will assign them a target of around 60,000 uniforms.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development), Ms. Kanchan, stated that under this initiative, women have received a good opportunity to increase their income. From purchasing fabric in the market to preparing related documentation and organizing it as per government standards, all work is handled by the women themselves. This not only helps them understand market processes but also boosts their confidence.
She further informed that the centres at villages Sivian and Bajak are being operated with machines donated by Ambuja Cement Foundation and Mittal Group. The machines for the centres at Jeevan Singh Wala and Raiya have been provided by the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Bathinda. These include four types of machines—sewing machines, button-attaching machines, interlocking machines, and elastic-attaching machines.
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