West Bengal Government has launched a new project “Muktidhara” for the overall development of the self-help groups on the initiative of Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee. The project will be launched officially in Nadia district today at Krishnanagar by the State Consumer Affairs Minister Sadhan Pandey.
The Muktidhara project has been initiated to bring permanency in earning a livelihood, drive away poverty and financial improvement through Self Help Groups and Self-employment schemes.
The scheme aims to empower the financially backward classes, especially women and increase the family earnings, thus developing the means of livelihood. The project started off in the districts of Purulia and Paschim Medinipur and met with much success.
The self-help groups are being encouraged to produce lac, nuts, vegetables, create apiaries, make plates from sal leaves, produce puffed rice, and take up domestication and rearing of poultry, black Bengal goat, pigs and other dairy animals. Those SHGs registered under the scheme will be given training. In the first step, the SHGs are being given a loan to the tune of Rs 1.25 lakhs.
The project will soon be launched in all the districts of the State.