Odisha to transform Women SHGs into SMEs, micro industries parks to set up in all 30 districts
Dec 03, 2022
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], December 3 : The Odisha Government will soon transform Women's Self-Help Groups into Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs), announced Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at plenary sessions on Building economic independence for women.
Addressing the session Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, "We have six lakh women Self Help Groups working in Odisha, now the goal of the state government is to transform these SHGs into SMEs. We are prepared to run the extra mile to make this happen."
The Chief Minister further said, "lakhs of women of Odisha will be benefited by the decision of the state government to provide interest-free loans of up to five lakh rupees to the women under Mission Shakti."
The Chief Minister said that the Odisha Cabinet had decided to procure goods and services worth 5000 crores from SHGs in five years and about 1 lakh SHGs are benefiting from this."
Stating that our aim is to further strengthen the Mission Shakti Federations and turn them into vibrant financial hubs, the Chief Minister announced that a revolving fund of Rs.1 crore will be given to each district federation, and a revolving fund of Rs.50 lakhs will be given to each block level federation.
Similarly, the Chief Minister announced that a special office building with a market complex will be built for the Federation at the Panchayat level. To realize the goal of making women entrepreneurs, the Chief Minister also announced that small industrial parks will be set up in all 30 districts to encourage women's entrepreneurship.
Explaining that women have a big role in the transformation of Odisha, the Chief Minister said that he is committed to the overall empowerment of women.
Chief Minister said that Mission Shakti, which started in 2001, today has become a huge force of seventy lakh empowered women of Odisha, For my government, women empowerment is not just a slogan, it is a non-negotiable code. It is a sacred responsibility.
