Over 32 lakh rural families have been linked to self-employment – Minister Shri Patel

Bhopal : Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Shri Kamleshwar Patel said that more than 32 lakh 21 thousand rural families in the state have been linked to self-employment activities through self-help groups. Of these, 9 and a half lakh women are engaged in agricultural activities.

Minister Shri Patel informed that the work of social and economic upliftment of women of poor families residing in rural areas is being undertaken. These women have been linked with employment activities through the State Rural Livelihoods Mission. He said that the women of the village form self-help groups and according to their interest, they are provided with training in employment oriented activities and financial assistance through banks. He said that the work of providing market to the products of women self-help groups is also being done under the mission. Under this, the activity of organizing craft fairs in the haat-bazaars at Bhopal and division level is going on continuously.

Chief Executive Officer of State Rural Livelihood Mission, Smt. Shilpa Gupta said that by the end of January 2020, 2 lakh 84 thousand self-help groups have been formed in rural areas in which 32 lakh 21 thousand women have been made members. In these groups, 9.50 lakh families in agriculture based activities, 2 lakh 39 thousand families in animal husbandry and dairy development activities, the remaining 3 lakh 51 thousand families in non-agriculture based activities and other families are involved in soap, incense sticks, spices, sanitary napkins, cleanliness materials, food promotion and work of value addition of non-forestry products, as self-help group members.