Woman SHG boosts self-employment

Rajiv Mahajan

Nurpur, September 13

There are 495 woman self-help groups (SHGs) in 43 gram panchayats of the Nurpur development block in Kangra district but Shri Lakshmi Self Group in Khel gram panchayat has set an example of generating good self-employment opportunities by availing of the benefits of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).

This group has achieved the prime objective of economic self-reliance of women. Members of this group have become financial pillars of their families and have improved their standards of living.

Loans available

The beneficiaries can avail bank loan of Rs3 to 10 lakh with low interest rate. At present, 4,230 rural women are connected with different woman self-help groups in Nurpur. — Rohit Sharma, BDO

The group was constituted by 10 progressive but economically downtrodden women of the Khel gram panchayat in 2016. Assessing their interest and commitment, the Block Development Office (BDO) of Nurpur released Rs 10,000 as revolving fund (initial funding) and Rs 2,500 as a start-up fund to the group. Thereafter began the success story of the group. Its members contributed additional funds from their own savings. They started a beauty parlour, a boutique and trading of readymade ladies’ garments with an initial investment of Rs 56,000.

The group, after achieving fruitful results, approached the Nurpur BDO which further provided Rs 3 lakh to it as a bank loan at a nominal interest for further expansion of self-employment activities.

Official sources said the group was making strides in its venture by earning Rs 20,000-Rs 25,000 per month. It has already paid its bank loan to the tune of Rs 2.70 lakh.

Rohit Sharma, BDO, Nurpur, said the group had inspired women of other gram panchayats in Nurpur. “Under the NRLM programme, beneficiaries can avail bank loan of Rs 3 to 10 lakh with low interest rate. The group can start ventures like sericulture, mushroom and dairy farming, embroidery, rearing of goats,” he said.