Srinagar: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to assess the Jammu & Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (JKRLM) and emphasized the need for effective integration with other initiatives such as Mission YUVA, PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME), and the Lal Ded Stree Shakti Scheme. The aim is to enhance employment generation and create sustainable livelihood opportunities for women in rural areas. The meeting was attended by top officials from various departments and highlighted JKRLM’s core objective of empowering rural women through sustainable livelihoods.
Addressing the meeting Chief Secretary stressed the importance of improving access to credit and entrepreneurial support, advocating for a convergence-driven model to maximize the impact of women-centric schemes. He set a target for the Mission to assist at least 5,000 women under the Lal Ded Stree Shakti Loan Scheme this year and called for enhanced credit linkages for Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs). Managing Director Subhra Sharma provided an overview of JKRLM’s achievements, noting the mobilization of 7.66 lakh rural households into nearly 95,000 SHGs and significant financial support provided to community organizations. The Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) has led to the establishment of over 7,000 rural enterprises, showcasing a strong credit culture among SHGs. The Mission is also expanding its digital financial services through the Banking Correspondent model, facilitating substantial financial transactions. The “Lakhpati Didi” initiative aims to empower SHG members to become micro-entrepreneurs, with over 17,000 women trained so far. JKRLM has successfully enhanced market linkages, with SHG products now available on major e-commerce platforms and through various retail outlets. Additionally, the Mission has linked nearly 40,000 women to income-generating activities in agriculture and allied sectors, while the Lal Ded Stree Shakti Scheme has already facilitated numerous credit disbursements. To further strengthen its initiatives, JKRLM has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Resource Organisation to enhance implementation capacity and develop training modules. The Mission is also facilitating exposure visits for SHG members to learn from successful livelihood models in other states. The Chief Secretary commended the efforts of JKRLM and urged all stakeholders to collaborate closely to scale up interventions, promote financial literacy, and ensure the economic self-reliance of rural women in Jammu and Kashmir.
