Shivraj plans to hold meet with states to review Lakhpati Didi scheme

Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is planning to hold a meeting with chief ministers of states to assess the progress of ‘Lakhpati Didi’ scheme and address any implementation issues.

Chouhan, who recently took charge of the ministry, expressed optimism about creating three crore ‘Lakhpati Didis’ as he asked all the stakeholders to work towards meeting the target before the three-year deadline.

The scheme aims to provide training to women in self-help groups (SHGs) to enable them to generate a sustainable annual income of at least Rs 1 lakh.

Additionally, Chouhan will focus on connecting all rural habitations with all-weather roads, a goal that has seen significant progress under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

Chouhan has also called for a thorough evaluation of the 113 research institutes under the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) to assess their effectiveness and adherence to their intended purposes.

He emphasised the need to set clear targets for increasing farm productivity and incomes by 2047 and suggested conducting annual reviews to monitor progress.