Haryana to allot 33% ration depots to women

Chandigarh, June 17 Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday said the state government has decided to allot 33 per cent ration depots to women in the future.

The self-help groups applying for a ration depot will be given priority. Additionally, if the help group applies for the contract for fish farming of panchayat land or pond, they will receive a 10 per cent discount on the auction amount.

The Chief Minister said if the family income of a member of the self-help group increases by more than Rs 1.80 lakh, their ration card and Ayushman card will not be quashed for one year.

The Chief Minister made these announcements while virtually interacting with beneficiaries of self-help groups.

Furthermore, he said 25 per cent of the shops allotted at the bus stand through lottery or any other means would be reserved for self-help groups.

In the case of auctioned shops, the self-help groups will receive a 10 per cent discount on the auction amount.

During the interaction, the beneficiaries of the self-help groups expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for the significant announcements made for them.

They appreciated the financial assistance provided by the government through the Revolving Fund, Community Investment Fund, and Credit Linkage Scheme, which has helped them run their businesses without facing any problems.

The Chief Minister also announced the establishment of a call centre in the office of the Haryana State Rural Livelihood Mission to provide various types of information to beneficiaries belonging to self-help groups.

He highlighted the growth of self-help groups in the state, stating that while there were only 812 SHGs in 2014, the number has increased to more than 57,000 in the last eight and a half years.

Khattar said in 2014, there were 812 self-help groups in the state. Since assuming power in 2014-15, the government has focused on the development of self-help groups, resulting in the formation of 2,100 new self-help groups in the first year.

They have been provided with a revolving fund of Rs 54.57 crore, a community investment fund of approximately Rs 285 crore, and bank credit linkage of around Rs 880 crore.

Additionally, the government has increased the revolving fund amount from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000.

The Chief Minister emphasised that self-help groups have become instrumental in providing social support.

By joining self-help groups, women not only take care of their families through self-employment but also create employment opportunities for other women.