Yogi Adityanath: 1.2 crore UP women in SHGs, Nari Shakti drives state growth
Synopsis
On Durga Ashtami, UP CM Yogi Adityanath revealed that over 1.2 crore women are now in Self-Help Groups across Uttar Pradesh — citing nutrition reforms, a fourfold Anganwadi honorarium hike, and dairy cooperatives spanning 31 districts as evidence that Nari Shakti has moved from welfare object to economic engine under his administration.
Key Takeaways
UP CM Yogi Adityanath announced on 18 October 2026 that more than 1.2 crore women in Uttar Pradesh are enrolled in Self-Help Groups (SHGs) .
Anganwadi workers' honorarium was raised from ₹3,000 to ₹12,000 per month under the current state government.
More than 4 lakh women across 31 districts are connected to milk production cooperatives including Balini , Samarthya , and Srijani .
The BC Sakhini initiative in every Gram Panchayat and the Lakhpati Didi scheme are flagged as key tools for rural financial inclusion.
Adityanath credited women in SHGs with reforming children's nutrition delivery, which he said was under 'mafia' control before 2017 .
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday, 18 October 2026, marked Durga Ashtami by highlighting the state government's women empowerment milestones, declaring that more than 1.2 crore women across Uttar Pradesh are now enrolled in Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and are active contributors to the state's economic growth. Posting on his X handle, the Chief Minister credited the 'double-engine government' — aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision — for transforming Nari Shakti from a welfare recipient into a productive economic partner.
SHGs and the Fight Against Malnutrition
Adityanath said that prior to 2017, the production and distribution of take-home rations under children's nutrition programmes were reportedly mired in irregularities and 'mafia' control. After his government assumed office, he said, the task was handed over to women in SHGs, bringing transparency and simultaneously opening pathways for women's economic independence. According to the Chief Minister, this shift has strengthened nutrition delivery and made the fight against malnutrition more effective across the state.
Anganwadi Workers, Milk Cooperatives and Rural Income
On the education and nutrition front, Adityanath noted that the honorarium for Anganwadi workers was raised from ₹3,000 to ₹12,000 per month under his administration. He also cited the contribution of women in dairy entrepreneurship, stating that more than 4 lakh women from 31 districts are connected to milk production companies — including Balini, Samarthya, Kashi, Baba Gorakhnath, and Srijani — and are strengthening the rural economy through milk production as a source of income and self-reliance.
BC Sakhini, Lakhpati Didi and Financial Inclusion
The Chief Minister highlighted the BC Sakhini initiative, operational in every Gram Panchayat, as a key driver of financial inclusion for rural women. He also referenced the Lakhpati Didi initiative, under which women are converting skills and labour into sustained income streams, ensuring household well-being. Together, these schemes, he argued, mark a 'new era of self-sustainability' for women in Uttar Pradesh.
Symbolic Context and Broader Framing
Invoking Goddess Maha Gauri as a symbol of peace, purity, and compassion, Adityanath framed the occasion as a reminder that societal progress requires every mother to be healthy, every daughter to receive proper nutrition and opportunity, and every woman to live with dignity. 'Today, the lives of women are being illuminated by security, respect, empowerment, and prosperity,' he said. This comes amid the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government's continued push to position women's welfare as a centrepiece of its governance narrative ahead of future electoral cycles in the state.
Point of View
Numbers, and before-and-after contrasts in a format designed for electoral recall. The '1.2 crore women in SHGs' figure is significant, but independent verification of whether SHG membership translates into sustained income gains — rather than nominal enrolment — is absent from the narrative. The Lakhpati Didi and BC Sakhini programmes mirror central government branding closely, blurring the line between state achievement and Centre-driven delivery. What mainstream coverage underplays is the question of quality over quantity: how many of these 1.2 crore women have crossed the lakhpati threshold, and what do third-party assessments say about nutritional outcomes post-SHG takeover of ration distribution?
NationPress
18 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many women in Uttar Pradesh are enrolled in Self-Help Groups according to CM Yogi?
According to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, more than 1.2 crore women in Uttar Pradesh are currently connected to Self-Help Groups (SHGs). He made this announcement on 18 October 2026 on the occasion of Durga Ashtami.
What is the Lakhpati Didi initiative in Uttar Pradesh?
The Lakhpati Didi initiative is a scheme aimed at helping women convert their skills and labour into a sustained annual income of at least ₹1 lakh, ensuring economic self-reliance and household well-being. CM Adityanath cited it as a key pillar of women's empowerment under the current state government.
What is the BC Sakhini initiative mentioned by Yogi Adityanath?
The BC Sakhini initiative places women-led banking correspondents in every Gram Panchayat to extend financial services to rural women, boosting financial inclusion at the grassroots level. The Chief Minister called it a crucial step toward making women self-reliant in rural Uttar Pradesh.
How much was the Anganwadi worker honorarium increased to in Uttar Pradesh?
The honorarium for Anganwadi workers in Uttar Pradesh was increased from ₹3,000 to ₹12,000 per month under the Yogi Adityanath government. This was cited as part of the state's push to strengthen children's nutrition and education services.
Which milk production companies are women in UP connected to under the dairy initiative?
More than 4 lakh women from 31 districts are linked to milk production companies including Balini, Samarthya, Kashi, Baba Gorakhnath, and Srijani, according to CM Adityanath. He described this as strengthening the rural economy through dairy entrepreneurship.
