SRINAGAR: The Ministry of Rural Development has revealed that Jammu and Kashmir has made notable strides in the Lakhpati Didi initiative, with over 43050 women in the state now earning a minimum income of Rs 1 lakh annually through the programme. This is part of the broader Deendayal Antodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), which aims to alleviate rural poverty by organising rural women into Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and improving their financial independence. According to the latest data presented in the Lok Sabha on December 3, 2024, Jammu and Kashmir ranks among the states showing significant growth under this initiative.
The Lakhpati Didi initiative is designed to help SHG members achieve sustainable incomes by providing them with the necessary support to run successful income-generating activities. In Jammu & Kashmir, 43,050 women have benefited from this programme, making substantial progress towards financial independence. The initiative, which is part of the broader DAY-NRLM scheme, aims to support women from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, focusing on income improvement, savings, and access to government schemes.
The countrywide impact of the DAY-NRLM programme has been considerable, with a total of 10.05 crore women mobilised into 90.87 lakh SHGs by October 2024. The scheme has also been extended to include the “Namo Drone Didi” initiative, under which drones are provided to SHG members for agricultural tasks. Jammu and Kashmir is among the states benefiting from this scheme, with women in the region receiving drones to enhance their agricultural productivity.
While the programme has seen success, the Ministry of Rural Development has also commissioned impact evaluation studies to measure the economic outcomes for women beneficiaries. A study conducted by the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) with the World Bank found that women involved in DAY-NRLM have seen a 19 per cent increase in income, a 28 per cent rise in savings, and a reduction in informal loans by 20%. Additionally, access to other government schemes has also improved, with beneficiaries reporting better participation in social welfare programmes.
