SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today attended an event of Women Entrepreneurs organized by J&K Rural Livelihood Mission at the lawns of SKICC.
On the occasion, the Lt Governor e-inaugurated and laid foundation stone for New District Rural Haats across J&K and dedicated the facility to all the women entrepreneurs.
We are proud that lakhs of women entrepreneurs around the UT are making valuable contributions to uplift the rural economy with single-minded pursuit of excellence through creativity and hard work, the Lt Governor said.
It is the women entrepreneurs in the far-flung rural areas, who keep the wheels of socio-economic progress moving, helping the government to reduce disparities, inequalities in the society & contributing to faster growth with employment and equity, he added.
He highlighted the reforms introduced by the government to identify women’s potential in the leadership role and providing them opportunity to scale up their businesses.
Government’s initiatives like Saath, Hausla, Umeed, Tejaswini laid a strong foundation for financial independence of rural women, he added.
Technology, market dynamics and financial inclusion is providing an opportunity to transform the women Self Help Groups. They are successfully creating a niche for their products in a fiercely competitive global market and helping other women to become financially independent, he said.
As many as 5 lakh women are associated with 56,000 Self-Help Groups. This year, assistance and support will be provided to additional 1.5 lakh women entrepreneurs, observed LG.
He stressed on identifying 75 progressive women entrepreneurs from Rural Livelihood Mission Self Help Groups for honouring them on August 15 as an acknowledgment for their contribution to women empowerment.
LG unveiled the Product Catalogue of Self Help Groups and JKRLM’s gift hamper. To mark the occasion, the Lt Governor distributed Micro ATMs and felicitated best performing Sakhies.
Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary assured that the government will make provision for procurement of SHGs products by government departments.
Ms Indu Kanwal Chib, Mission Director, JKRLM gave a detailed briefing on the initiatives taken to extend support and assistance to SHGs and rural women entrepreneurs.
Earlier, the Lt Governor inspected the live stalls set up by the SHG groups.
At ‘Kisan Maha Sammelan’, LG felicitates innovative, technically empowered farmers for their contribution
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha attended ‘Kisan Maha Sammelan’ and felicitated innovative, technically empowered farmers for their contribution to agriculture & horticulture sector, today at SKICC, Srinagar.
He felicitated innovative, technically empowered farmers for their contribution to agriculture and horticulture sector.
The Lt Governor expressed his gratitude to the farming community for their immense contributions towards ensuring food security for our UT and nation.
He enlisted various innovative measures and policy decisions taken by the government to increase the income of the farmers and encouraged youth to adopt agriculture as a medium of employment.
Over the past two years, the government has shifted to the improved farming system on scientific lines and market-oriented policies in order to make agriculture and allied sector a sustainable & profitable economic activity, said the Lt Governor.
“In spite of rapid urbanization, nearly 70% population’s livelihood is dependent on agriculture and it is the key to remove developmental imbalances between urban and rural areas. To some extent, this goal has been realized”, LG added.
Braving all the challenges of agricultural reform, our ranking in monthly farm income has improved and J&K UT is standing tall among top 5 states/UTs, he further added.
J&K has limitless potential in agriculture & concerted efforts are opening up doors of opportunity for small & marginal farmers. Never before had high-density plantation investment in agro-based industries taken place at the kind of speed witnessed in the last two years, observed Sinha.
He further said that Green Agriculture Revolution, and the contribution of Agricultural Universities, Institutions & Krishi Vigyan Kendras has changed the way of farming in an innovative way by extending benefits of modern technologies to the farmers.
The Lt Governor informed that under the Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana started by Prime Minister, last year J&K administration covered 82,188 farmers and this year, the target is to register 50,000 additional farmers under the scheme. The farmers associated with this scheme will get a pension of three thousand rupees every month in their account after the age of 60 years.
I urge every eligible beneficiary to take advantage of this scheme, he added.
On the occasion, the Lt Governor handed over sanction letters to beneficiaries, and financial assistance to farmers under the National Saffron Mission. He also released a book titled “Zero Budget Natural Farming” and inspected the impressive stalls set up by government departments, startups and other stakeholders.
Agri-preneurs, Champion Farmers shared their success story and how the support of the UT administration changed their lives. Many women agri-preneurs encouraged others to take up farming and earn a respectable income.
