DAY-NRLM Initiative by Centre Empowers 10.05 Crore Rural Women Under SHG Framework

New Delhi, Dec 3 (NationPress) The Centre's Deendayal Antodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) has effectively benefited 10.05 crore women, who have been organized into 90.87 lakh Self Help Groups (SHGs) until October, as stated in a response to the Lok Sabha.

Minister of State for Rural Development, Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, explained in a written reply that the DAY-NRLM is a systematic programme that provides various advantages such as Revolving Fund, Community Investment Fund, and Bank Linkage based on the eligibility and needs of the SHGs.

The Ministry has initiated impact evaluation studies to assess the effects on the financial autonomy of women in SHGs through the DAY-NRLM interventions. An evaluation study indicates a 19 percent increase in the incomes of beneficiaries compared to initial amounts. Additionally, the groups' savings increased by 28 percent, while reliance on informal loans decreased by 20 percent.

Furthermore, there was a rise in labor force participation, with a higher percentage (4 percent) of women in treatment areas reporting secondary occupations.

Access to other government schemes also improved, with a significant rise in the number of social schemes utilized by treatment households, seeing an increase of 6.5 percent over the baseline value of 2.8 schemes.

The DAY-NRLM scheme is operational nationwide (excluding Delhi & Chandigarh) aiming to reduce rural poverty by organizing rural women into Self Help Groups (SHGs) and providing continuous support to enhance their income over time, thereby improving their quality of life and lifting them out of severe poverty.

The minister added that the Lakhpati Didi initiative is one of the results of DAY-NRLM. A structured method has been developed to assist SHG members in becoming Lakhpatis, which means achieving a minimum annual income of Rs 1 lakh sustainably.

According to the data shared by the minister, the number of Lakhpati Didis has surpassed 1.15 crore across the nation. State-wise statistics reveal that Andhra Pradesh leads with 14.87 lakh Lakhpati Didis, followed by Bihar with 13.48 lakh, Madhya Pradesh with 10.51 lakh, and Uttar Pradesh with 8.42 lakh. Other states include Gujarat (5.39 lakh), Odisha (5.37 lakh), Jharkhand (3.51 lakh), Tamil Nadu (3.18 lakh), Kerala (2.85 lakh), and Karnataka (2.36 lakh).

The minister further highlighted the NAMO Drone Didi Scheme initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, which aims to distribute drones to 15,000 SHG members under the DAY-NRLM from 2023-24 to 2025-26.

As part of the 2023-24 initiatives, 503 drones have already been distributed to SHG members through the resources of fertilizer companies.