India, June 4 -- The Government of India has issued a release:
Union Rural Development Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, while reviewing the progress and future plan of action of the Lakhpati Didi initiative, said that the target of creating 3 crore Lakhpati Didis by December 2025 has been achieved. He called upon the states to build on this achievement and work in mission mode to fulfill the pledge of creating an additional 3 crore Lakhpati Didis within the stipulated timeframe. He assured the states of all possible support, guidance, and necessary resources to achieve this goal.
The meeting reviewed the progress of various states and future strategies. The Union Minister stated that the priority now is to connect an additional 30 million women with sustainable and diverse livelihood activities to ensure a sustained increase in their income. He directed that livelihood opportunities be accessible to every eligible Self-Help Group (SHG) member and that no eligible woman should be deprived of these opportunities.
Shri Chouhan said that the Lakhpati Didi initiative has emerged as a transformative campaign towards the economic empowerment of rural women. He said that approximately 4.11 crore potential Lakhpati Didis have been identified across the country, providing a strong foundation for achieving the next phase of targets. He urged states to make special efforts to connect these women with agriculture, animal husbandry, micro-enterprises, processing, value addition, trade, services and other non-farm activities.
The Union Minister stated that the strong community ecosystem developed under DAY-NRLM is a key strength of this campaign. Nearly 4.09 lakh Community Resource Persons (CRPs) across the country are supporting Self-Help Groups in planning, implementing, and guiding livelihood activities. Supporting them is a network of over 6,600 Master Trainers, who are playing a vital role in training, capacity building, and quality assurance.
He said that information on livelihood activities and income is being systematically collected through the Digital Livelihood Register (DAR). More than 172.4 million DAR entries have been recorded so far, reflecting the diverse livelihood activities pursued by rural households and changes in income.
Mr. Chauhan said that technology and artificial intelligence (AI)-based solutions are also being used for the effective implementation and monitoring of the Lakhpati Didi Abhiyan. Digital platforms and data-driven systems are making beneficiary identification, livelihood activity monitoring, and outcome evaluation more effective.
The meeting also reviewed initiatives undertaken by the states related to bank credit, entrepreneurship development, skill upgradation, market linkages, and livelihood diversification. The Union Minister stated that through coordinated efforts by the Central Government, State Governments, banks, and other stakeholders, the target of creating 6 crore Lakhpati Didis can be achieved within the stipulated timeframe. He called upon all stakeholders to work in mission mode to ensure results at the grassroots level.
The meeting was attended by Rural Development Department Secretary Mr. Rohit Kansal, Additional Secretary Mr. T.K. Anil Kumar, Joint Secretary Ms. Swati Sharma and other senior officers of the department.
Disclaimer: The original story of this translated version is available on Press Information Bureau.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
