PM Modi tells self-help groups to eliminate poverty by 2022

VARANASI: Raising a pitch for women empowerment on the occasion of International Women’s Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that his government was committed to the cause and called upon the members of women self-help groups (SHGs) to eliminate poverty by 2022, when the country will celebrate 75th anniversary of its independence.

“The government is committed to women empowerment for which several programmes and schemes have been started. NRLM ( National Rural Livelihood Mission ) has been launched to eliminate poverty from the country. Now, it has become easy for SHGs to get loan under the livelihood mission,” said Modi while addressing the participants at National Women Livelihood Meet-2019, held at Deen Dayal Upadyaya Trade Facilitation Centre in Bada Lalpur area to mark the International Women’s Day.

He also called upon the members of women SHGs to work hard and eliminate poverty by 2022, when the country will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its independence.

“Five years ago, loan worth Rs 23,000 crore was given to SHGs, but in the past four years the amount went up to Rs 44,000 crore. The campaign has now spread across 625 districts in the country and about six core families have been linked with SHGs. Efforts are on to link eight-10 crore families with SHGs in the days to come,” he added.

The PM said a programme for providing solar lamps to schoolchildren had been started through SHGs. “So far, 12 lakh solar lamps have been given to students, ensuring an income of Rs. 6 crore to self-help groups. Furthermore, of the Rs 15 crore Mudra loan disbursed nationally, women have received Rs. 11 crore,” he said.

Two women — Farida Khatoon from Allahabad and Rajwanti from Sonbhadra — narrated their stories before the PM and elaborated how their living condition changed after joining NRLM. They said that before joining the livelihood mission, they were living in penury, but now they were earning Rs 15,000 to 20,000 per month to support their families.

Modi also felicitated five women — Neelam Pradhan from Araziline block of Varanasi, Lajwanti from his adopted Jayapur village in Varanasi, Rinki Devi and Renu Devi from Sonbhadra and Pankali Devi from Mirzapur — for their livelihood achievements and efforts for women empowerment.

The PM also gave solar ‘charkha’ (spinning wheel) to Sushma Singh, electric potter wheel to Manisha Devi and bee box to Santari Devi. He also handed over a cheque of Rs. 63.18 crore to an identified SHG of Suman Pal. The women SHGs also handed over a cheque of Rs. 21 lakh to the PM as contribution towards Bharat Ke Veer Fund. The programme was also addressed by chief minister Yogi Adityanath .