Kolkata: Bengal govt is set to facilitate loans worth Rs 40,000 crore for self-help groups (SHGs) across the state. The initiative aims to strengthen rural livelihoods by expanding access to institutional credit for women organised under SHGs.Announcing this on Tuesday, panchayat and rural develompent minister Dilip Ghosh said, “The panchayat department has taken a decision to extend loans of Rs 40,000 crore to the self-help groups. The loan will be given through the banks and each of the SHGs will be entitled to get loans worth Rs 3.5 lakh.”The state has more than 11 lakh SHGs and plans are underway to add one lakh groups in coming months as part of a broader effort to increase women’s participation in income-generating activities.“We are moving towards a healthy society where the role of women is extremely important. We will add 1 lakh more self-help groups,” Ghosh said.The state govt also plans to accelerate the implementation of the Centre’s Lakhpati Didi scheme, which seeks to connect women with institutional credit and encourage sustainable income generation. Bengal had more than 16 lakh Lakhpati Didis in the last financial year.
