Prime Minister to Facilitate 11 Lakh New ‘Lakhpati Didis’ in Jalgaon, Maharashtra

New Delhi: Union Minister for Rural Development and Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, addressed a press conference in New Delhi today to provide details of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Jalgaon, Maharashtra, on August 25, 2024. Joined by Union Minister of State Shri Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani,  Chouhan announced that Prime Minister Modi will interact with Lakhpati Didis and award certificates to 11 lakh newly inducted members.

The highlight of the event will be the release of a revolving fund—Community Investment Fund—worth ₹2,500 crore, which will benefit 48 lakh members of 4.3 lakh Self Help Groups (SHGs). Additionally, a bank loan of ₹5,000 crore will be released, impacting 25.8 lakh members of 2,35,400 SHGs. The program will be broadcast live to 30,000 locations across 34 states and Union Territories, including state capitals, district headquarters, and Community Livelihood Federations (CLFs), through a virtual platform.

Chouhan explained that Lakhpati Didis are women who earn ₹1 lakh or more annually, helping to uplift their families from poverty and becoming role models within their communities. He revealed that the Ministry of Rural Development has already created 1 crore Lakhpati Didis, with an ambitious goal of increasing this figure to 3 crore in the next three years. A cadre of 3 lakh Community Resource Persons (CRPs) has been instrumental in training and capacitating SHG members in business planning, financing, and convergence processes.

“Many of these women have transformed their lives through self-help initiatives, and one CRP alone has helped create 95 Lakhpati Didis,” Chouhan said. The structured process employed by the ministry involves training National Resource Persons, developing Master Trainers in each state, and empowering CRPs who work closely with SHG members. During the event, some of these CRPs will also be facilitated for their contributions.