Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday emphasized that welfare schemes must reach every deserving person in rural areas while reviewing the progress of the Rural Development Department at the Jharkhand Ministry. He said gram panchayats are the backbone of rural development and directed officials to ensure transparent and effective implementation of all schemes. Rural Development Minister Deepika Pandey Singh also attended the review meeting.
The Chief Minister reviewed housing initiatives including Abua Awas Yojana, PMAY-Gramin and Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Awas Yojana. He instructed officials to identify homeless families and people living in unsafe mud houses so that they can be covered under government housing schemes within a fixed timeline.
Highlighting the importance of women’s participation in rural growth, CM Soren directed Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) to increase the number of women self-help groups in the state. He said women linked to Sakhi Mandals should not remain limited to agriculture alone but should also be encouraged to explore opportunities in solar power generation, honey production and jute processing through skill training and financial support.
The Chief Minister said SHG products should receive proper market exposure and asked officials to prepare a strategy for opening Palash Mart outlets at tourist destinations and major locations in other states. Officials informed that the Palash Mart building under construction on Ranchi’s Kanke Road is in its final stage and six additional Palash Marts are proposed this year.
According to officials, the government is working towards creating 5,000 new Sakhi Mandals with the target of connecting around 60,000 families. Plans are also in place to facilitate Rs 5,000 crore in bank loans for SHGs and connect nearly 2.5 lakh women to various livelihood activities.
CM Soren also directed the department to connect widows, elderly women, differently-abled women and beneficiaries of Maiyan Samman Yojana with self-help groups. He stressed the need for training women in innovation and modern technology while ensuring regular SHG meetings at the cluster level. He further suggested opening “Didi Cafes” at Community Health Centres to create additional livelihood opportunities for women.
Reviewing irrigation and water conservation projects, the Chief Minister said water management and water harvesting are essential for the success of lift irrigation schemes. He instructed officials to speed up all water conservation projects and ensure active participation of villagers in the process.
While reviewing Birsa Harit Gram Yojana under MGNREGA, the Chief Minister said the scheme is playing a major role in strengthening the rural economy. He encouraged officials to promote horticulture among farmers and prepare district-wise databases for better planning and implementation. Officials informed that women’s participation in the scheme has grown significantly and horticulture-related work is currently being carried out on nearly 1.5 lakh acres in the state.
Apart from this, the meeting included detailed discussions on the National Rural Livelihood Mission, Women Farmers Empowerment Project, Deendayal Upadhyay Rural Skill Programme, Youth Skill Scheme, Watershed Projects and Birsa Tribal Development initiatives. Senior administrative officials and departmental officers were also present during the review meeting.