Bhopal : Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan will interact directly with the members of self-help groups formed under the Madhya Pradesh Rural Livelihood Mission. About 500 women group members from different districts of the state will participate in the programme to be organized at the Chief Minister’s residence on September 16 at 10.30 am. Also, group members will takepart virtually in the programme at the gram panchayat level in all the districts of the state. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan will share experiences with self-help group members and hold discussion with product buyers.
By connecting women members of poor families living in rural areas with self-help groups in Madhya Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission under the Panchayat and Rural Development Department, they are being empowered socially and economically. Three lakh 33 thousand groups have been formed by the mission in about 44 thousand villages of the state. About 37 lakh 94 thousand families have been linked to these groups. Out of these, about 13 lakh families have been linked to agriculture based activities and about 4 lakh 90 thousand families to non agriculture based livelihood activities.
It is generally seen that people in rural areas are deprived of taking benefits of various schemes despite being eligible due to the difficulty of documentation and other formalities in the banking service procedures. Efforts are being made by the state government to make this process easier by coordinating with banks on a large scale and making adequate bank loans easily available to the self-help groups.
Every effort is being made by the state government to provide maximum livelihood opportunities while further empowering the groups. Even during the Corona period, Chief Minister Shri Chouhan has been interacting with the group members through virtual medium. Aajeevika Mart portal has been created by the mission to connect livelihood products with the wider market and make buying and selling easier, through which buying and selling is being done.
About 4 thousand products of groups of different districts have been uploaded on the portal and business worth about Rs 86 crore has been generated. In the programme, some buyers and sellers will have a discussion through direct and virtual medium. In some districts, groups have started manufacturing new products, which will be launched by Chief Minister Shri Chouhan. These products will be available for sale on the portal.
At the time of Corona, the group members manufactured and made masks, sanitizers, handwash, soap, PPE kits available. During the lockdown and Janata curfew, they not only helped deliver essential goods to the public, but they also made the goods available to the general public by creating a disaster fund. Bank Sakhis helped in controlling the infection in rural areas, helping in getting banking service, insurance, Ayushman card in times of crisis. Incomparable work like prevention of Corona, treatment assistance, advice for vaccination, cooperation in Kill Corona Campaign, distribution of medicines, help and guidance of people in reaching ambulances, treatment institutions, etc. was done. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan will also observe the exhibition being organized in relation to all these works done as Corona Warriors.
During the global pandemic Covid-19, the groups have done a good job of turning the disaster into opportunity by creating rescue material. From lockdown period till now, about 2 crore masks, 1.5 lakh PPE kits, 1.60 lakh liters of sanitizer, 33 thousand liters of handwash and more than 8 lakh soaps have been manufactured and supplied. This work helped in the prevention of disease as well as generated an additional income for the group members. Social and economic empowerment of women through groups is the top priority of the government.
The interaction programme between the Chief Minister and the members of self-help groups will be telecast on Doordarshan along with various platforms of social media.
