New Delhi: Union Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh on Wednesday stressed on convergence of different government schemes to ensure an annual income of more than Rs 1 lakh for women linked with self-help groups and stressed that states need to drive the “Lakhpati Didi” scheme.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the “Lakhpati Didi” scheme in his Independence Day speech. It involves skill development training for two crore women to encourage them to start micro-enterprises.
Speaking at a national conclave on enabling two crore ‘lakhpati’ women SHG members, Singh urged officials to put their hearts and minds into the scheme.
“I would request the states to take the responsibility. States will be the real tool of implementation,” Singh said at the conclave which was joined by SHG members and officials from across the country.
The minister stressed on adopting a whole-of-government approach for maximum impact through convergence to transform the rural economy through “Lakhpati Didis”.
He added that the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojna-National Rural Livelihoods Mission, the flagship poverty alleviation programme of the Government of India, is the world’s largest initiative to improve the livelihoods of the poor.
Ministry officials said the mission in its endeavour to empower SHG women has made concerted efforts in collectivization of women, strengthening their federations, capacitating them with knowledge and skills for livelihood intervention, financing and credit support, etc. for the livelihood augmentation of the SHG women.
The mission seeks to achieve its objective through investing in four core components – social mobilization and promotion and strengthening of self-managed and financially sustainable community institutions of the rural poor; financial inclusion of the rural poor; sustainable livelihoods; and social inclusion, social development and convergence.
The mission has covered 7,091 blocks spread over 742 districts across all states and Union territories except Delhi and Chandigarh. More than 9.54 crore women have been mobilized into 87.39 lakh self-help groups (SHGs), according to the data provided by the Rural Development Ministry.
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