Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan reviewed REAP and Lakhpati Didi Scheme and gave instructions to accelerate the development of growth centres, women empowerment and construction of R-SETI.
Dehradun. A review meeting of REAP (Rural Velocity Growth Enterprise Project-Gramotthan) and Lakhpati Didi Yojana was held in the Secretariat Auditorium under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan. In the meeting, various topics related to progress of schemes, promotion of rural entrepreneurship and economic empowerment of women were discussed in detail.
The Chief Secretary directed all the District Magistrates to make a detailed assessment of the growth centers operating in their respective districts. He said that the total number of growth centers in each district, the status of the growth centers run by various departments, their activity and annual turnover should be assessed.
Concrete action plan will be made for rural enterprise development
The Chief Secretary said that an effective and practical action plan should be prepared for the growth centers where there is potential for development and expansion. He stressed on establishing better coordination with the concerned departments, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders. He directed that practical and logical suggestions received at the ground level should be included in the plans, so that entrepreneurship can get more momentum in rural areas and employment opportunities can increase at the local level.
Emphasis on increasing women’s income through Lakhpati Didi Yojana
During the review of Lakhpati Didi Scheme, the Chief Secretary said that special efforts should be made to keep the income of the women who have already become Lakhpati Didi under this scheme permanent and continuous. He also directed that increase in income of low-income women should be ensured by connecting them with various livelihood activities. This will help in making rural women economically stronger.
Self-help groups will get strengthened financial assistance
The Chief Secretary said that women should be more connected to banking services through self-help groups. He directed to provide loan facilities through financial institutions and other agencies as per the guidelines of RBI. Apart from this, emphasis was also laid on connecting women with economic activities and making them self-reliant through convergence of various departmental schemes.
Instructions to speed up R-SETI building construction work
The construction work of R-SETI buildings was also reviewed in the meeting. The Chief Secretary directed to speed up the construction work in those districts where RSETI buildings are proposed. He said that creation of strong infrastructure for skill development and training will play an important role in promoting rural entrepreneurship. Therefore the building construction work should be completed within the stipulated time.
Emphasis on adopting integrated approach for better implementation of schemes
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Chief Secretary directed all the districts to adopt a coordinated approach for effective operation of REAP and Lakhpati Didi Scheme. He said that better coordination should be established between various departments and the set targets should be achieved by regularly reviewing the schemes. Senior government officials were present in the meeting, while District Magistrates and concerned officers of all the districts participated in the meeting through virtual medium.