Bhubaneswar: Emphasising the growing role of women in state’s economic and social transformation, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida Tuesday said women are not merely beneficiaries of development but are emerging as key drivers of the state’s growth.
Speaking at a programme organised by the department of Mission Shakti at Mission Shakti Bhawan here, Parida released Rs 99.26 crore in interest subvention to 1,79,809 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) across the state. “Women are not merely beneficiaries of development; they are emerging as drivers of Odisha’s economic and social transformation. I am confident that Nari Shakti will lead the development journey of Odisha in the coming years,” Parida said. She said the government is taking a series of measures to strengthen the financial and institutional capacity of SHGs and their federations, create new livelihood opportunities and promote women-led enterprises.
The State government has made a budget provision of Rs 575 crore for interest subvention to SHGs during 2026-27. With Tuesday’s release, the government has disbursed Rs 247.03 crore under the scheme so far this financial year. Earlier, Rs 147.77 crore was released to 2,88,198 SHGs June 24. The government has also set a target of Rs 20,000 crore in bank credit linkage for SHGs in 2026-27, with bank credit, interest subvention and community funds expected to provide greater financial support for women-led livelihoods and enterprises.
In addition to the interest subvention, Rs 151.28 crore was released under various community-based financial support schemes. This included Rs 29.31 crore as Revolving Fund for 15,526 SHGs, Rs 113.80 crore as Community Investment Fund for 371 Gram Panchayat-level Federations, and Rs 8.18 crore as Vulnerability Reduction Fund for 605 Area Level Federations. The programme also saw the signing of two key MoUs aimed at expanding opportunities for women. An agreement was signed with the Collective for Integrated Livelihood Initiatives (CINI) to strengthen the Lakhpati Didi initiative.
Another MoU with the Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA) will promote green entrepreneurship among women SHGs. The initiative is expected to help rural women develop environmentally sustainable businesses and build more secure livelihoods. Parida said such interventions would strengthen women-led enterprises while enabling SHG members to make a greater contribution to the development of their communities. Senior officials of the Mission Shakti department, representatives of banks and partner organisations, OREDA and CI NI, district officials and SHG members from across the state attended the programme physically and through virtual mode.
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