State govt plans to strengthen self help groups

In a unique attempt, the state government is going to rope in unemployed youth into the self help groups. The new project has already been launched in Nadia and the rest of the projects will start in other districts from January onwards. 

Sadhan Pandey, state Consumer Affairs Minister said all the unemployed youth will be covered under ‘Muktidhara’ scheme by which they will be provided loans of Rs 1.25 lakh through banks to start a new business of their own. The initiative was taken to strengthen the self help groups. 

The state government had earlier stressed a great important on setting up of various self help groups among women in the rural areas so that they can become self dependent. But this is for the first time that the youth will be given opportunity to start business through the formation of various self help groups. 

The state government will help the beneficiaries in repaying the loans. The beneficiaries have to pay an interest of 2 per cent on loan, while the state government will bear 9 per cent interest. Under this new scheme, the unemployed youths in the districts will be given an opportunity to start business of farming, pisciculture and poultry at villages.  

The state government has taken up this project in a bid to generate more employment among the youth in the districts. The state government will give Rs 10 lakh and a guideline to all the District Magistrates to start up “Muktidhara” project. 

Pandey said the programme has already been introduced in Nadia. “It will start in North 24-Parganas in January and all the other districts in various phases. This project will immensely benefit the unemployed youths especially in the rural areas. We have created jobs among the women in villages through formation of various self help groups. Now the youths are being brought into the new scheme thereby creating jobs for them. Ten self help groups will form a cluster to for the better management and also for creating market for the products they youths produce,” he said.