Sustained drive by the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) has led to the fruition of empowerment of the rural economy, a dream of Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren.

In the last three years since the UPA alliance led by Soren came to power in December 2019, there has been a sixfold increase in the number of women self-help groups (SHGs) receiving community investment funds (CIF) and an almost two-and-a-half times increase in the amount of revolving fund received by SHGs.

“We undertook sustained drives among Sakhi Mandals (women SHGs) and farmer producer organisations (FPOs) to realise the vision of the chief minister and all these have led to tremendous response and empowering of the rural economy is gradually taking shape,” said JSLPS CEO Suraj Kumar.

JSLPS is the nodal unit for implementing the national rural livelihood mission (NRLM) and functions under the Jharkhand rural development department.

“While on one hand schemes are being created suiting the needs of the villagers, on the other hand, the women of Sakhi Mandal have started getting a strong base for their livelihood prosperity. In the last three years, a sixfold increase has been recorded in the number of self-help groups receiving community investment funds,” said a source in the chief minister’s office.

A release shared on Thursday by the chief minister’s secretariat informed that between 2012 and 2019, the number of such SHGs was 31,496, whereas since December 2020 till now the number has increased to 1,83,451. In total, 304 SHGs were added in 2019-20, while 80,299 SHGs got registered in 2020- 21 and 72,051 in 2021-22.

From 2022-23 till November 30, 797 have been added. “Since December 2019, not only has there been an increase in the number of self-help groups receiving CIF, but there has also been an increase in the amount of revolving fund and community investment received by self-help groups.

Between 2012 and 2019, only Rs 12,437.1 lakh was released to self-help groups under the revolving fund, whereas Rs 27,949.9 lakh was released in the last three years. In this way, about two-and-a-half times more amount was released to different groups in three years,” the CMO release informed.

“Between 2012 and 2019, Rs 12,437.1 lakh was released. While Rs 3,560.4 lakh was released in 2019-20, Rs 17,684.73 lakh in 2020-21, Rs 3,542.59 lakh in 2021-22 and Rs 3,162.18 lakh in 2022-23 have so far been distributed among self-help groups under the revolving fund,” the release said.

“There has also been a four-fold increase in the amount of community investment in the last three years. From 2012 to 2019, Rs 20,524.48 lakh was provided under community investment. At the same time, Rs 86,816.52 lakh has been given to self-help groups since December 2019 till now.