Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has said that the state is aiming to transform the economic landscape of the state by creating 114,000 ‘Lakhpati Didis’ by the end of the current financial year.
CM Saha said at present, the state has 83,000 ‘Lakhpati Didis’ who earn Rs 1 lakh or more annually by engaging themselves in activities of self-help groups (SHGs).
The term ‘Lakhpati Didis’ refers to women who earn at least one lakh rupees annually through self-employment and micro-enterprises.
By leveraging the potential of women-led self-help groups (SHGs), the Tripura government aims to create sustainable income opportunities and uplift economically marginalized communities.
While addressing the inaugural programme of SARAS Mela at Badharghat International Fair Ground in West Tripura district on Saturday, the chief minister said the success of SHGs has changed the rural economy over the last few years.
“The number of SHGs, which was only 4,000 before 2018, has now increased to 52,000. Altogether, 4.73 lakh rural women got engaged in various self-employment trades. The government has allocated Rs 69 crore as revolving fund so far (after the BJP came to power in Tripura) and Rs 626.97 crore community investment fund has been channelised to the SHGs,” Saha said.
According to CM Saha, the state government is focussing to support SHGs through skill development programs and by providing financial aid and access to markets. “Our vision is to empower women economically so that they can contribute to their families and communities in a meaningful way,” he added.
Showering praise on the role of Tripura Rural Livelihood Mission (TRLM), which works under the state government’s Rural Development Department, Saha said “The number of ‘Lakhpati Didis’ in the state will increase from 83,000 at present to 1.14 lakh by the end of the current financial year.
He also highlighted the success of organizing SARAS mela, an annual event to showcase and sell the products made by different SHGs.
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The sale proceeds of SARAS Mela, which was Rs 1.5 crore in the 2022-23 fiscal, has grown to Rs 4.5 crore in the 2023-24 fiscal, he said.
