Ooottupura
Kozhikode: The eatery ‘Ooottupura’, set up by a group of women in Kozhikode to ensure delicious homely meals with traditional recipes, crossed 25 years of service. The eatery, which began functioning in 1996 at the premises of Kozhikode block panchayat, has only the tales of success to unravel. It was established by a group of eight women under the self-employment programme of Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA).
The Canara Bank granted a credit of Rs 84,000 to launch the eatery. The women started to cook and serve food at a temporary shed provided by the block panchayat office for the group.
The loan amount with a 50 per cent subsidy was fully repaid one and half years before the end of the loan term. This helped them to obtain another loan of Rs 1 lakh from the same bank. The necessary vessels and furniture were bought for the eatery from this amount. They could return the second loan also before a year of the term.
Though many of the eateries are under financial stress due to the pandemic and subsequent lockdown, the women behind ‘Oottupura’ are successfully moving forward with their disciplined functioning.