Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Friday, June 5, 2026, visited Gram Panchayat Lamba to attend a Gram Vikas Chaupal, where he reviewed an exhibition mounted by self-help groups (SHGs) affiliated with Rajivika and distributed benefit cheques to scheme beneficiaries.

Context

The Chief Minister toured stalls set up by multiple SHGs under the Rajasthan Grameen Aajeevika Vikas Parishad (Rajivika), the state's nodal agency for the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM). Products on display — crafted by women members — ranged across handloom, handicraft, and food-processing categories, illustrating the breadth of rural enterprise being nurtured at the panchayat level.

Sharma described the goods as 'maatrashakti dwara apne kaushal, parishram aur navachar se taiyar kiye gaye utpad' [products prepared by women through their skill, hard work, and innovation], calling them a 'powerful picture of women's entrepreneurship, self-reliance, and the rural economy.'

Policy Backdrop

Rajivika operates as the Rajasthan-level implementation arm of the NRLM, which was launched in 2011 to mobilise rural women into SHGs, provide them credit linkages, and build sustainable livelihoods. Since the BJP government took office in December 2023, the state has held a series of panchayat-level chaupals under the #GRAM2026 initiative to accelerate benefit delivery and showcase SHG output directly to communities.

The event fits squarely within the BJP's 'Double Engine Government' framework, which emphasises coordinated central-state execution of flagship welfare and livelihood programmes. Sharma invoked the phrase explicitly, stating that the resolve for an 'Atmanirbhar Rajasthan' [self-reliant Rajasthan] is gaining fresh momentum through the government's commitment and the 'tireless efforts of sisters.'

Stakeholders and Impact

Beneficiaries of multiple government schemes received cheques directly from the Chief Minister at the event, a format designed to ensure last-mile transfer and public visibility of government outreach. Women SHG members affiliated with Rajivika are the primary beneficiaries, with their products gaining a formal platform through the chaupal exhibition model.

Deputy Chief Minister Dr. Prem Bairwa and other elected representatives were present at the event, signalling cross-government emphasis on the programme. The presence of senior leadership at a village-level chaupal underscores the administration's intent to project grassroots welfare delivery as a political priority ahead of further GRAM2026 rollouts across Rajasthan.

What's Next

The #GRAM2026 hashtag suggests an ongoing calendar of similar Gram Vikas Chaupals across Rajasthan panchayats through the year. Further tranches of scheme benefits are expected to be distributed at subsequent events, with Rajivika-linked SHGs likely to expand their exhibition footprint as the programme scales. Observers will watch whether the cheque-distribution drives translate into measurable upticks in SHG membership and rural household incomes across the state.