- Self-help groups provide economic support, farming and livelihood
- Became ‘Lakhpati Didi’ through activities
The Chhattisgarh government’s State Rural Livelihood Mission, “Bihan,” is emerging as a powerful tool for the economic empowerment of rural women. Through self-help groups, women across the state are becoming self-reliant by engaging in agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, small enterprises, and other livelihood activities. Through the effective implementation of these schemes, thousands of women are strengthening their families’ economic standing and establishing new identities in society.
Mrs. Meera Bai of Barkelala village (post Sakhauli) in Surguja district is an inspiring example of this transformation. By joining the Tara Self Help Group, she achieved economic prosperity through farming and fishing, and today, as “Lakhpati Didi,” she serves as an inspiration to other women.
- Financial support from the group
Meera Bai explains that her self-help group consists of 10 women who engage in regular savings, banking activities, and collective livelihood initiatives. A loan of 100,000 rupees received through the group was used to expand income-generating activities such as agriculture and fisheries, significantly increasing the income of all members.
- Increased income from farming and fishing
Using the loan amount, the women in the group cultivated paddy, maize, and pigeon pea, as well as began fish farming. Benefiting from modern agricultural practices and irrigation facilities, production increased and they generated better income. With the income, the group repaid the loan on time and expanded their livelihood activities by taking out new loans as needed.
- Became an inspiration by becoming ‘Lakhpati Didi’
Currently, Meera Bai has established a new identity for economic self-reliance through her involvement in the “Lakhpati Didi” campaign. She inspires other rural women to join self-help groups, adopt self-employment, and become self-reliant through income-generating activities. She believes that collective efforts and the proper use of programs can bring about profound changes in women’s lives.
Attributing her success to government schemes and self-help groups, Meera Bai expressed her gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai. She said that these schemes have provided rural women with the opportunity to become self-reliant, earn a respectable livelihood, and strengthen their families’ financial situation.
Through the “Bihan” scheme, thousands of women in the state are becoming economically empowered by engaging in agriculture, fisheries, animal husbandry, small enterprises, and other livelihood activities. This scheme is playing a crucial role in empowering women to become self-reliant and in realizing the resolve for a developed Chhattisgarh.
