Agartala, Jul 24, 2021, ENEWSTIME Desk
Tripura Government is focusing on empowering the rural womenfolk by providing loans to women-run Self Help Groups (SHGs) under Rural Livelihood Mission (TRLM). During the last three years – 2018 to 2021 – Rs 225.08 crore loans were provided to the SHGs to empower rural women.
Highlighting the major achievements of TRLM from April 1, 2018 to March 3, this year, Deputy Chief Minister of Tripura, Jishnu Dev Verma shared the information through his official Facebook handle on Saturday.
Comparing the loan disbursement during the period prior to 2018, Dev Varma mentioned that the amount of loan provided women SHG members under TRLM was only Rs. 4.96 crore from 2014 to 2018 in the state.
However, at present, the women SHGs of TRLM were revolving around Rs. 400 crore for augmenting livelihoods and other demands, he wrote.
“The NPA rate on SHG bank loan is remarkable, which is only 2.63% during 31st March, 2021. It is all-time lowest in case of SHG financing in the history of Tripura,” the Deputy Chief Minister wrote.
His Facebook post also read, with the increased budget since 2018-19, the activities of TRLM were expanded from 18 to 58 blocks.
Tripura saw a quantum jump in promotion of women-run Self Help Groups in the past three years. As many as 23,151 women SHGs were promoted by the TRLM in the state during this period—the number was only 4,061 from 2014-15 to 2017-18, Dev Verma pointed out.
In another achievement, for economic sustainability and dignity of rural women, Community Investment Fund of Rs.134.55 crore was provided to the women SHGs and their village and Cluster Level Federations (CLFs) since 2018.
As recognition of its efforts in empowering rural women, the TRLM had received two awards for proper implementation of the National Rural Livelihood Mission in Tripura since 2018-19. The awards were given for Financial Inclusion and quality promotion of women SHGs and their federations.
The TRLM also registered contributions in primary sector livelihood activities that included non-chemical paddy cultivation, organic vegetable cultivation, scientific goat rearing, fish farming, nutrition garden, piggery, horticulture and mushroom cultivation by involving the women SHGs.
Besides, around 150 customs hiring centers were promoted by the Village Organization of SHGs for increasing output by the SHG members in the field of agriculture and 20 vehicles were provided to such SHGs through soft loans for better marketing of products.