Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized empowering women politically and economically, as stated by Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha during an address to Self Help Group (SHG) members in Agartala. Women-led SHGs play a crucial role in Tripura’s rural economy, contributing significantly to the state’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) with around 70% of the state being rural areas.
Tripura ranks second in GSDP among northeastern states, with over 4.95 lakh rural women engaged in 55,569 SHGs across rural and interior regions, striving for economic self-reliance. Among these women, 1,08,281 have become ‘Lakhpati Didis,’ indicating SHG members with household incomes exceeding Rs 1 lakh annually.
Chief Minister Saha mentioned that banks have provided loans totaling Rs 2,389 crore to SHGs for livelihood activities, while the state government allocated Rs 837 crore for revolving and community investment funds. He stressed the joint efforts of men and women as essential to achieve the goals of Viksit Bharat and Viksit Tripura by 2047.
The program, organized by the Tripura Rural Livelihood Mission (TRLM), aimed at empowering rural women economically and socially through successful implementation of Samriddhi 1.0 and 2.0 programs. Saha highlighted the Integrated Farming Cluster (IFC) approach to strengthen livelihoods, especially for SHG members, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision.
