New Delhi: More than one lakh self-help groups (SHGs) have been formed in the last three years under the Deen Dayal Antyodaya – National Rural Livelihoods Mission scheme in rural areas of the state.
Union Minister of State for Rural Development Sadhvi Niranjana Jyoti said that more than 10 lakh families are involved in this.
Replying to a question by BJD Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Mahanta, Union Minister Niranjana Jyoti said that under this scheme across the country, women in rural areas are being encouraged to form self-help groups. So far, 9.89 crore women have joined 89.82 lakh Self Help Groups across the country.
Under this central scheme, 49,467 Self Help Groups were formed in the state in the year 2020-21 as against 38,785 in 2021-22 and 29,611 in 2022-23. More than 10 lakh families joined it during these years. However, the number has been declining year by year.
In 2020-21, about 5 lakh households were added in Odisha, while the next year i.e. in 2021-22, 3.36 lakh were added. In 2022-23, the number of families under the scheme was more than 2 lakh.
However, during this time, the number of families including SHGs increased all over the country. Even in the year 2022-23, the number of such families in the country had crossed 81 lakh.
The Minister mentioned that the Ministry had launched a social campaign in this regard from September 7 to 30 last year in connection with the scheme.
The ‘Sangathan Se Samruddhi Abhiyan’ was also held from April to August this year. The main objective of these two campaigns was to improve the economic condition of the poor women in the villages, including the formation of self-help groups.
More than 52 lakh families and 3,75,710 self-help groups were formed during the Sangathan Se Samruddhi Abhiyan.
The Union Minister said that the formation of self-help groups is a regular process under this scheme of the Central Government.