More than 2,000 male SHGs set up from November 2021 to January 2022
KOLKATA: The state Panchayats and Rural Development (P&RD) department has already constituted nearly 2200 male Self Help Groups (SHGs) in three months from November till January with nearly 11000 registered members. Bengal is probably the first state in the country to have kicked off the process of formation of male SHGs.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at an administrative meeting held a few months back had instructed the concerned officials of the state government to form male SHG groups for the purpose of fruitful engagement of the unemployed youths in rural Bengal.
Accordingly, Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi issued a notification. As per figures available with West Bengal Comprehensive Area Development Corporation– an autonomous organisation under P&RD department which is implementing the project, the highest number of such groups have been formed in North 24-Parganas followed by Murshidabad and Bankura.
North 24-Parganas has 585 SHGs with 2899 members, Murshidabad has 362 with 1816 members while Bankura has 283 with 1415 members.
The other districts where such male SHGs have been constituted include West Burdwan, Birbhum, Darjeeling, Howrah, Hooghly, Malda, West Midnapore, East Midnapore, Nadia, North Dinajpur, Alipurduar and Jhargram.
A female SHG group needs to have 9-10 members while in the case of male 4-5 members can form a group.
They have to hail from the same area, will have to agree to pursue the same livelihood and share the asset equally among themselves."We have not only done the registration but have completed their training, bank-tie-up and most importantly the market linkage. They are pursuing agriculture and allied, pisciculture, horticulture and similar activities as the women SHGs," a senior official of CADC said. Majority of the male SHGs constituted hail from SC/ST, backward class and minority community.
The state Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education department and Backward Classes Welfare departments have been assisting the P&RD department in the venture.
The male SHGs have been doing excellent work in rice production at Debra in East Midnapore, in production of chicken and mutton at Jhargram and also avocado, kiwi, strawberry etc in Siliguri with majority of their production coming to CADC.
About 9,35,625 Self Help Groups (SHGs) have been created in the state till December last year under Anandadhara project with the total number of women in these SHGs
being 98,15949.
