CM Sai Meets Bihan Women, Awards 100 Lakhpati Didi Certificates in Kondagaon
Synopsis
Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai visited Badekaner village in Kondagaon on 1 June 2026, met Bihan SHG women, tasted traditional millet porridge, and awarded 100 Lakhpati Didi certificates during Sushasan Tihar 2026, calling women's economic independence the foundation of a developed Chhattisgarh.
Key Takeaways
CM Vishnu Dev Sai visited Badekaner village, Kondagaon district on 1 June 2026 as part of Sushasan Tihar 2026 .
100 women from Kondagaon district received Lakhpati Didi certificates , recognising annual earnings of at least Rs 1 lakh .
The CM interacted with Bihan self-help group members and tasted traditional maḍiyā pej (millet porridge) prepared by them.
CM Sai described women's economic independence and social dignity as the 'strong foundation of Viksit Chhattisgarh'.
The Lakhpati Didi scheme has been scaled nationally since 2023 under the Ministry of Rural Development via the DAY-NRLM framework.
Further Lakhpati Didi distributions are expected at upcoming Sushasan Tihar 2026 events across other blocks.
The Chief Minister's Office of Chhattisgarh announced on Monday, 1 June 2026 that Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai met with women members of Bihan self-help groups in village Badekaner, Kondagaon district, interacted with them, and tasted the traditional maḍiyā pej (millet porridge) prepared by them. At the event, 100 women from the district were presented with Lakhpati Didi certificates.
Context
The visit was part of Sushasan Tihar 2026, the Chhattisgarh government's annual village-level outreach programme for grievance redressal and direct scheme delivery. Badekaner village in Kondagaon, a tribal-majority district with a predominantly forest-based rural economy, served as the venue for this interaction.
Addressing the women, CM Sai described the economic independence and social dignity of women as the strong foundation of a 'Viksit Chhattisgarh' (developed Chhattisgarh). He stated: 'When rural women move forward on the strength of their labour, skill, and collective group power, the family, the village, and the entire state becomes empowered.'
Policy Backdrop
The Bihan programme is Chhattisgarh's state-level initiative to support women's self-help groups in producing and marketing local and traditional products. It operates under the broader national framework of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), which has been active in the state since 2012–13.
The Lakhpati Didi scheme, scaled nationally from 2023 onward under the Ministry of Rural Development, aims to enable women in self-help groups to earn at least Rs 1 lakh annually through diversified livelihood activities. Chhattisgarh has been expanding this certification drive across tribal districts as part of its rural women's empowerment agenda.
Stakeholders and Impact
The 100 women who received Lakhpati Didi certificates in Kondagaon represent households that have crossed the annual income threshold under the scheme's criteria. For tribal-belt SHG members, the certification marks formal recognition of their earnings and can improve access to institutional credit and further government support.
The tasting of maḍiyā pej — a millet-based traditional drink — by the Chief Minister also highlighted the role of Bihan groups in preserving and commercialising indigenous food products, a livelihood stream with growing market interest in tribal Chhattisgarh.
What's Next
With Sushasan Tihar 2026 continuing across blocks and districts, further rounds of Lakhpati Didi certificate distribution are expected at upcoming village-level events. The administration has indicated that tracking the post-certification income trajectory of certified households will be a focus going forward.
The expansion of Bihan-linked activities in tribal districts such as Kondagaon signals the current government's intent to use periodic governance festivals as platforms for direct scheme delivery, keeping rural women's economic inclusion at the centre of its outreach narrative.
Point of View
And it gives on-the-ground visibility to centrally-sponsored schemes like Lakhpati Didi that might otherwise remain administrative abstractions. The choice of Kondagaon, a tribal-majority district where the state has historically struggled with development indicators, is deliberate. Anchoring the event within Sushasan Tihar 2026 allows the administration to bundle scheme delivery with a governance-accountability narrative, projecting the festival as a vehicle for tangible outcomes rather than ceremonial pageantry. The broader pattern — periodic CM visits to SHG clusters across tribal Chhattisgarh — suggests a sustained strategy of direct-benefit visibility that the current administration has pursued consistently since taking office in December 2023.
NationPress
17 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Lakhpati Didi scheme in Chhattisgarh?
The Lakhpati Didi scheme is a national programme under DAY-NRLM that certifies women in self-help groups who earn at least Rs 1 lakh annually through livelihood activities. In Chhattisgarh, it is implemented through the Bihan programme across rural and tribal districts.
What is Bihan in Chhattisgarh?
Bihan is Chhattisgarh's state initiative supporting women's self-help groups in producing, marketing, and selling local and traditional products. It operates under the national DAY-NRLM framework and has been active in the state since 2012–13.
What is Sushasan Tihar 2026?
Sushasan Tihar is an annual outreach programme of the Chhattisgarh government held at the village level for direct grievance redressal and delivery of government schemes to beneficiaries. The 2026 edition has seen CM Sai visit multiple districts including Kondagaon.
Where is Kondagaon district in Chhattisgarh?
Kondagaon is a tribal-majority district in Chhattisgarh with a predominantly rural and forest-based economy. It is part of the Bastar region in the southern part of the state.
