Programme held to reform defunct Self-help groups; Women Development Centre

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: Women Development Centre (WDC) organized a two-day long programme on Social Institution Building (SHGs) Strengthening and Training with bank linkages for the women artisans of Gorchiga Traditional Handloom Cluster at Ranghapathar and Gorchiga village under Nowboicha Block of Lakhimpur district.

The purpose of the programme was to reform the defunct SHGs, to mobilize, to strengthen and to train the members on book-keeping and bank linkages in the cluster through groups with leading artisans, who are members of Self-Help Groups, to have sustainable livelihoods in flood-affected areas. The programme also addressed convergence with other stakeholders, especially NABARD and banks.

The topics covered in the event were - SHGs and their principles, SHG formation and stages, why SHG and its structure, SHG management and practices, maintenance of various books with records of groups, leadership, insurances launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for general public, such as Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Atal Pension Yojana (APBY) and Kissan Credit Card (KCC) facilities for farmers, women members of SHGs.

Lead District Manager Pradip Kumar Khakhlari, District Development Manager (DDM) of NABARD, Amlan Tamuli, AGVB Branch Manager Prasanna Kumar Gogoi, Jhorna Chutia and WDC Project Director Bhagyawati Bhuyan conducted the training in the event. The programme was supported through SFURTI project under MSME in association with WDC as implementing agency, EPCH as technical agency, IIE as nodal agency and NABARD.