Chief Minister. Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday ceremonially launched the distribution of cheques to 32,482 members of women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under Mukhyamantrir Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan at Kaliabor LAC in Nagaon district. Speaking on the occasion in a meeting held at Dr T Ao Stadium, the Chief Minister said that the State today has nearly four lakh SHGs, of which around four thousand operate within the Kaliabor constituency.
The State Government, he said, has been taking various measures to strengthen SHGs through revolving funds, bank loans, CLFs, VOs, “Jivika Sakhis” and “Bank Sakhis,” ensuring that women associated with these groups receive sustained assistance.
Since the inception of the SHG movement, women of Assam have progressed significantly transforming from homemakers to leaders who now help run society itself, he said adding that over the past 12-13 years, SHG women have collectively taken loans worth about `21,000 crore from banks and have consistently repaid them on time.
The Chief Minister said that Mukhyamantrir Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan was launched to further strengthen the organised force of 40 lakh women connected to four lakh SHGs, enabling them to contribute both socially and economically towards building a self-reliant Assam. He remarked that following the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who dreams of creating 3 crore Lakhpati Didis, the State Government has resolved to develop at least 30 lakh Lakhpati Baideus in Assam. In this context, Sarma mentioned the success stories of Mamoni Bhuyan Changmai, a member of
Milijuli SHG and Bibi Basumatary of Kalyani SHG of Kaliabor, who became “Lakhpati Baideus” through fast food and snack enterprise and piggery and livestock enterprise respectively. Outlining the use of entrepreneurship fund provided under the mission, the Chief Minister said that the first installment of `10,000 received as seed capital could be deposited by beneficiaries into their SHGs to collectively build a fund of `1 lakh, which could then be used for joint enterprises.
The beneficiaries could use it individually to start a new business or expand an existing family enterprise. He informed that the Government will evaluate the utilization of this fund after six months and those who use it judiciously will be eligible for subsequent installments of `25,000 and `50,000 respectively.
He urged women beneficiaries to use the entrepreneurship fund prudently, emphasizing that the initiative is not merely a financial scheme but also embodies the spirit of socio-economic and gender empowerment of women. Chief Minister also moving forward to introduce legislation in the upcoming November session of the Assam Legislative Assembly to address the issue of polygamy in the State.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Revenue and Disaster Management and local MLA Keshab Mahanta, MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, MLAs Rupak Sarma, Jitu Goswami, Dipluranjan Sarma and Sashikanta Das, Nagaon Zilla Parishad Chairperson Gitanjali Hazarika, Mission Director of Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission Kuntalmoni Sarma Bordoloi, officials of the Panchayat and Rural Development Department and district administration.