MP to set up 12,000 SHG for women

Bhopal, Jun 5 (UNI) The Madhya Pradesh government today decided to set up 12,000 self-help groups (SHG) in six districts for empowerment of 1.80 lakh women.

The state cabinet, presided over by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan here today, decided to implement the Tejaswini women empowerment project with the assistance of International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFED).

Briefing reporters, Public Relations Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the 8-year project would be initially implemented by the Women and Child Development department in Balaghat, Dindori, Mandla, Panna, Chhattarpur and Tikamgarh districts.

After evaluating the project in three years, it would be considered for implementation in other districts also, Mr Tomar said.

The project aims at setting up SHGs, forming an apex body of SHGs and providing access to the women with micro-financing With the aim to form a holistic policy for better use of ravines and other wasteland, the cabinet decided to form a four-member cabinet sub-committee, headed by Mr Tomar, who is also Rural Development Minister. The committee will submit its report in one month.

To streamline implementation of self-employment programmes financed by the Madhya Pradesh Adivasi Vith and Vikas Nigam, it was decided to nominate the District Convenor of the Nigam as nodal agency instead of the District Industries Centre at present.

The cabinet decided to exempt registration fee and processing fee for diversion of forest land for non-forest use.

It also decided to set up a three-member cabinet sub-committee to look into the report of the judicial inquiry into an incident that took place at the Gramodaya Vishwavidyalaya, Chitrakoot, Satna, on October 25, 2002.

The cabinet also approved setting up of a cabinet committee to study the report of the Jagatpati committee, which earlier probed allotment of government land during the previous BJP regime.

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