Tripura to have 114,000 'Lakhpati Didis' by end of current FY: CM

Lauding the Tripura Rural Livelihood Mission (TRLM) for spearheading women empowerment, Chief Minister Manik Saha on Saturday asserted that the northeastern state will have 1.14 lakh 'Lakhpati Didis' by the end of the current fiscal.

At present, the state has 83,000 'Lakhpati Didis' who earn Rs 1 lakh or more annually by engaging themselves in activities of self-help groups (SHGs).

While addressing the inaugural programme of SARAS Mela at Badharghat International Fair Ground in West Tripura district, the chief minister said the success of SHGs has changed the rural economy over the last few years.

"The number of SHGs, which was only 4,000 before 2018, has now increased to 52,000. Altogether, 4.73 lakh rural women got engaged in various self-employment trades. The government has allocated Rs 69 crore as revolving fund so far (after the BJP came to power in Tripura) and Rs 626.97 crore community investment fund has been channelised to the SHGs," Saha said.

Showering praise on the role of TRLM, which works under the state government's Rural Development Department, Saha said "The number of 'Lakhpati Didis' in the state will increase from 83,000 at present to 1.14 lakh by the end of the current financial year. The initiative has strengthened the socio-economic condition of the women living in rural areas."  Saha also highlighted the success of organising SARAS mela, an annual event to showcase and sell the products made by different SHGs.

"The sale proceeds of SARAS Mela, which was Rs 1.5 crore in the 2022-23 fiscal, has grown to Rs 4.5 crore in the 2023-24 fiscal. The increase mirrors the success of SHGs," he said.