chandigarh: In a major announcement, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that the state government has decided to allot 33 per cent of all future ration depots to women in the state. Self-Help Groups applying for Ration Depot will be given priority.
Additionally, if a self-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. He also said that 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 directly interacting with the beneficiaries of self-help groups through audio conferencing Saturday. Furthermore, he said that 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, self-help groups will receive a 10 per cent discount on the auction amount.
During the interaction, the beneficiaries of the SHGs expressed their gratitude to the CM for the significant announcements made for them. They appreciated the financial assistance provided by the state government through the Revolving Fund, Community Investment Fund, and Credit Linkage Scheme, which has helped them run their businesses without facing any problems. The women in the self-help groups also expressed their appreciation to Khattar for the rights provided by the state government, particularly for the advancement of women in society. The CM 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 thousand in the last 8 and a half years.