UP: Rural SHGs make 1.7 lakh rakhis worth Rs 17 lakh in 22 districts

LUCKNOW: With Rakshabandhan round the corner, cash registers have been ringing for the 168-odd women self-help groups (SHGs) in 22 districts of UP.


Records of the rural development department show that these SHGs have managed to manufacture as many as 1.7 lakh rakhis worth over Rs 17 lakh in the past few days.

The project has been undertaken by various SHGs, many of which comprise migrant workers, under the state rural livelihood mission (SRLM). Rakhis made by these groups are called ‘prerna rakhi’.

The coronavirus-induced pandemic had slowed down economic activity in small and cottage industries which are essentially engaged in production of festive products including rakhis.

The 22 districts engaged by the rural development department for the work include Bahraich, Banda, Basti, Bijnor, Deoria, Farrukhabad, Jhansi, Kannauj, Kasganj, Lucknow, Maharajganj, Mahoba, Mainpuri, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Pratapgarh, Prayagraj, Unnao and Varanasi.

The maximum number of rakhis—1.2 lakh worth Rs 12 lakh—have been prepared by SHGs in the west UP district of Baghpat where 15 SHGs were deployed for the purpose. In Lucknow, which had the maximum number of SHGs at 26, a meagre 1,530 rakhis worth Rs 15,300 could be manufactured. In Maharajganj, only one SHG with just two members manufactured 300 rakhis worth Rs 3,000, while in Mahoba, one SHG with three members produced 2,000 rakhis worth Rs 20,000.

Officials in the rural development department said that the decision to rope in SHGs for manufacturing rakhis was aimed to lend further fillip to economic utility and helped the members earn during the pandemic period.

The rural development department has employed over 8 lakh people in activities through constitution of SHGs. Data shows that the department has constituted more than 1.8 lakh SHGs which are working in as many as 68 activities including production of foodgrain, vegetables, dairy, honey, mushrooms, peppermint, incense sticks, face masks, artificial jewellery and in animal husbandry and poultry.