New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with the members of Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) at the ‘Atmanirbhar Narishakti Se Samvad’ program through video conferencing on Thursday.
Appreciating her role during the COVID-19 pandemic, PM Modi said that the way women self-help groups have served the nation by producing masks and sanitisers is unprecedented, news agency ANI reported.
It was told that there are more than 42 crore Jan-Dhan bank accounts, of which 55 percent are with women. During the virtual event, PM Narendra Modi interacted with SHG members promoted under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
PM Modi said, “I congratulate my sisters who have helped in the development of the country along with giving a better life to their families.”
“Our government provided more support to women SHGs than the previous governments. We opened bank accounts for women and provided loans to SHGs without guarantee. In seven years, the SHGs have done a commendable job in paying off their loans. There was a time when 9 per cent of loans became bad loans. It has now come down to 2-2.5 per cent. The country accepts your honesty,” ANI quoted the Prime Minister as saying.
Prime Minister released capitalization assistance amounting to Rs 1,625 crore to over 4 lakh SHGs. In addition, he has provided Rs 25 crore as seed money for 7,500 SHG members and Rs 4.13 crore as fund to 75 FPOs (Farmer Producer Organization) under PMFME (PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises) scheme of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. Will release Rs. ) is being promoted under the mission.
Talking to Champa Singh, a member of SHGs in Madhya Pradesh, PM Modi said that “nari shakti” (women power) can bring about any change if they are determined and appreciated for their efforts.
The Prime Minister said, “When a woman is empowered, not only a family is empowered, but the society and the country also develop.”
He suggested Champa to start an online campaign for organic farming.
PM Modi suggested that, to mark the 75th year of independence, women SHGs take out 75 hours throughout the year and do sanitation related and water conservation work, which will help the society at large.
During the programme, the Prime Minister released a booklet on universalization of agricultural livelihoods as well as a compilation of success stories of women SHG members from across the country.
According to the PMO, the objective of DAY-NRLM is to involve rural poor families in Self Help Groups (SHGs) in a phased manner and provide long-term support to diversify their livelihood, improve their income and quality of life.
It was informed that most of the interventions of the mission are being implemented and scaled up by the SHG women themselves, who have been trained as Community Resource Persons (CRPs) – Krishi Sakhis, Pashu Sakhis, Bank Sakhis, Bima Sakhis and Banking Correspondent Sakhis .
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