Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 13: Secretary, Rural Development Department (RDD) and Panchayati Raj, Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, emphasized the imperative need of initiating innovative and economically viable developmental projects.
He highlighted the significance of convergence not only within the department through various programs and schemes but also with other departments to maximize the impact and efficiency.
While chairing a meeting of the Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission, Dr. Shahid directed for promoting convergence with Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA). He emphasized the potential of construction of sheds for SHGs related to farming activities with MGNREGA convergence and developing infrastructure through convergence with RGSA.
Dr. Shahid highlighted that such convergence efforts would significantly enhance the financial status of women and empower them in a tangible manner. He said that steps should be taken for village empowerment.
He said that Umeed is an ideal and successful program, bringing pride as its achievements have garnered recognition from the Prime Minister.
During the meeting, bank linkage of women associated with self help groups, Bank Sukhi, Bank Mitra, to bring more women into the fold of Lakhpati Didis, declaration of Jammu and Kashmir as a difficult area, RBI rules for providing banking benefits to the number of women for self help groups, setting up of warehouses in Jammu and Srinagar for easy marketing access to manufactured products by SHGs and other issues were discussed.
On this occasion, Mission Director of Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission, Indu Kanwal Chib, stated that over 89,000 self help groups have been formed in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, with 736,000 women associated with them.
She highlighted key focus areas for next fiscal year, which included federating 1.5 million rural women into SHGs, allocating Rs 75 crore for SHG capitalization, establishing district-level community managed training centers, providing credit linkage facility of Rs 400 crore, disbursing Rs 1801 crore among SHG members, deploying BC Sakhis for doorstep banking, training 100,000 women farmers in agro-ecological practices, nurturing 3700 enterprises at the block level, and focusing on sub-themes like food, nutrition, health, and wash, gender, and enhancing social inclusion. She added that coordination with other departments and schemes aims to enhance efficiency and empower women.
CEO IWMP, Rajnish Kumar, Joint Director Planning, Kamal Kumar Sharma, Additional Secretary, Waseem Raja and other officers were also present on the occasion.
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