Chattisgarh: 'Lakhpati Didi' transforms, empowers lives of women in Surguja

Surguja (Chhattisgarh) [India], September 11 : Under the leadership of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, the Lakhpati Didi Yojana, the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), is making a major impact on women's lives in Chhattisgarh and helping them become self-reliant and support each other.
The scheme, launched by the Central Government, aims to make 35,000 women in the district lakhpatis. Women in the Lundra development block are already seeing positive changes through various self-help group (SHG) initiatives.
The scheme supports diverse activities such as sheep rearing, goat rearing, vegetable farming, pigeon rearing, and poultry farming. These activities are helping women from self-help groups on their path to becoming lakhpatis. They report that the government's efforts have improved their social standing and enabled them to better care for their families.
On the scheme's success, District Panchayat CEO Nutan Kanwar said, "We have received a target of 35,000 from the central government. But after conducting a survey in 48,000 houses, we found that within two to three years, all the women can be made lakhpatis. This will be in the range of about 70,000 to 1 lakh, and this target will be achieved within two years."
A local Shobha Lakra, who is part of the Champa Mahila Swayam Sahayata Samuh also shared her experience. "We have reared goats and sheep. There are many benefits of joining a group. We get to know about new government schemes which benefit women. Women help each other, which benefits us. Women also get loans through the group. We earn more than 1 lakh rupees a year through the group. The government scheme is good. Women are benefiting from it," Lakra said.
Not only in Surguja but all over in rural India, women are transforming their lives through self-help groups (SHGs) under "Lakhpati Didis." These women are earning over a lakh rupees through various entrepreneurial ventures.
Veena, who runs a government ration shop in Jhansi, said, "When I first got married, I didn't do anything. An NRLM officer connected us with a self-help group, which helped me manage accounts and run the shop." She said, "Women now come out to get rations and seek advice, which encourages them to start their own work."
Hemlata, who owns a clothing shop said she used a Rs 2 lakh loan to grow her business to Rs 6 lakh. "I am very grateful to the government and PM Modi for helping us progress," she said.
Sheela Singh, a Vidyut Sakhi, earns Rs 15,000-20,000 monthly collecting bills, and Manisha Yadav, a Banker Sakhi, now earns Rs 4,000, up from Rs 1,200. "I am very happy to see women becoming Lakhpati Didis," Yadav said.