In Bhagalpur, Dec 19 (NationPress) Bihar's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is steadfast in his commitment to uplifting women through initiatives focused on livelihood and self-employment, fundamentally altering lives throughout the state. This vision is manifesting in the form of Jeevika Didis, women engaged with self-help groups, who are achieving financial independence while also emerging as community leaders, entrepreneurs, and inspiring figures for others.

A striking instance of this transformation can be seen in Bhagalpur district, where women like Rekha Devi, Swarn Sandhya Bharti, and Farhana from Pirpainti, Sabour, and Jagdishpur blocks have created extraordinary success stories by leveraging various Central and state government schemes.

During an event at Bhagalpur Town Hall, over 1,000 Jeevika Didis convened to hear from Vijay Kumar Nivriti Kamble, Executive Director of UCO Bank, which serves as the lead bank for Bihar. His address centered on financial assistance and institutional backing for women-led self-employment ventures, underscoring the vital role of banking institutions in empowering grassroots entrepreneurs.

Rekha Devi, an intermediate graduate from Gokul Mathura village in Hardevchak Panchayat under Pirpainti block, recounted her journey of change. She secured financial aid of Rs 4.40 lakh through the Prime Minister’s Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme. Despite initial social backlash, strong backing from her husband allowed her to push through.

Utilizing the PMFME funds, Rekha Devi launched a spice-making business and invested in a packaging machine. Today, she manufactures and markets organic sattu, flour, spices, papad, badi, pickles, and mushrooms. As a community motivator, she has engaged hundreds of other women in her enterprise, generating employment opportunities at the grassroots level.

“We were nothing before, but thanks to the benefits of the Prime Minister’s schemes, we have become heroes in our community,” Rekha Devi stated, expressing her gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for initiatives aimed at fostering women's self-sufficiency.

She urged for opportunities for Jeevika Didis to supply food products to institutions such as NTPC and power plants.

Another inspiring tale is that of Swarn Sandhya Bharti from Khankitta Panchayat in Sabour block. She embarked on cultivating vibrant mushrooms after receiving training from the Krishi Vigyan Kendra of Bihar Agricultural University and the state government’s Agricultural Technology Management Agency. Eventually, joining Jeevika proved transformative for her life.

Her fortunes shifted dramatically after benefiting from the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), receiving a grant of Rs 10 lakh. Once struggling without a decent home, she now utilizes her own place for mushroom cultivation. Beyond generating a stable income, she has started training women in both Bhagalpur and Patna as a community motivator.

In an interview with IANS, Swarn Sandhya Bharti remarked, “The government empowered me to stand on my own, inspiring a spirit of assistance within me.”

She expressed appreciation for Prime Minister Modi and hoped that such opportunities would continue to elevate women entrepreneurs.

Farhana, hailing from Puraini village in Jagdishpur block, has also become a beacon of empowerment. Serving as a community motivator for 150 Jeevika women, Farhana transitioned from being a laborer, with her husband working as a weaver, to receiving a grant of Rs 50,000. This funding enabled her to support her husband's weaving business. Gradually, she began creating silk sarees herself, now producing them on order and enhancing the prosperity of her family and the households of 150 associated Jeevika women. She expressed deep gratitude to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for facilitating such a transformation.

Vijay Kumar Nivriti Kamble, Executive Director of UCO Bank, pointed out the institutional support behind these success stories, noting that the bank, in partnership with the Bihar government, has provided financial assistance totaling Rs 108 crore to Jeevika women statewide. He emphasized that empowering women through entrepreneurship not only transforms families but also fortifies society as a whole.