Mission Shakti format to be changed in Odisha; each household to be linked with SHGs: Deputy CM

Odisha Government is planning to restructure Mission Shakti in the state by including each household with women self-help groups (SHGs), informed Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida today. 

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Government is planning to restructure Mission Shakti in the state by including each household with women self-help groups (SHGs), informed Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida today. 

“Earlier, audit could not be carried out as the SHGs were running without registration with the Government. Even as the Centre had asked to link each household with the SHGs, the previous government did not pay heed to it, depriving many families and excluding a few SHGs from the Mission Shakti programme,” she alleged. 

However, the Mission Shakti department now has started an initiative to connect all households with the SHGs. 

As per the revised guidelines of Mission Shakti, all SHGs will have an opportunity to take part in Gram Panchayat Level (GPL) elections. New appointments will be made by replacing present presidents and secretaries in SHGs to create leadership at grassroot level, Parida said. 

The SHGs will be reorganised this April and new appointments will take place at Gram Panchayat Level Federations (GPLF), Cluster Level Federations (CLF) and Block level Federations (BLF) as well as state level next month in May. Those are in senior posts twice for more than four years will be removed, she said alleging that the previous government had utilised them for political purposes to get votes. 

She said that crores have been disbursed among SHGs. As the SHGs were functioning without registration, there was no audit to ascertain the utilisation of funds. However, the BJP government led by Mohan Charan Majhi is committed to work for development of women with no discrimination. 

In response to Deputy CM, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Pramila Mallick took a dig at the BJP government over the proposed restructure plan for SHGs.

“The BJP government now wants to use women for political purpose. The government wants to insult those who became Lakhpati Didi due to their hard work. BJD Supremo and former CM Naveen Patnaik had created SHGs, now the BJP is trying to take advantage of the BJD work. The women have realised that they are being exploited by the BJP government,” Mallick said.