International Women’s Day: Govt has set target to make 3 crore Lakhpati Didis in five years, says Modi in Gujarat

“I got blessings from Mother Ganga during the Maha Kumbh (in Prayagraj) and today here in Navsari I received the blessings of lakhs of Lakhpati Didis…making this a proud occasion,” said Modi. The PM also disbursed Rs 450 crore in financial assistance to over 2.5 lakh women from over 25,000 self-help groups (SHGs).

The Lakhpati Didi scheme was launched by the Union government in 2023 and recognises women members of SHGs, who have an annual income of at least Rs 1 lakh from agriculture, animal husbandry, and small industries, as ‘Lakhpati Didis’.

Addressing the huge gathering of women who had come from Valsad, Navsari and Dang districts to participate in the event, organised by Gujarat Livelihood Promotion Company Limited (Rural Development Department), the PM said, “The Lakhpati Didi initiative is not only an effort to increase the income of mothers and sisters, but it is a mega campaign to strengthen the family and future generations.” “Respect for women is the first step in the development of society and country, and the country is moving ahead at a steady pace in the direction of women-centric development,” Modi said.

He added, “The main objective behind forming SHGs in rural areas is for the social upliftment of women, raising their living standards and making them economically independent by linking them with livelihood activities. The Lakhpati Didis are now supporting their family’s progress”.

Evoking Mahatma Gandhi, Modi said: “Gandhiji had said that the soul of India resides in villages… (we are) linking this reality with modern India…the soul of rural India resides in rural women… This scheme, which has brought about a change in the rural economy, has empowered the lives of lakhs of women in the country. Since the inception of the Lakhpati Didi Scheme, one crore women have been made Lakhpati Didis and the government has set a target of making three crore Lakhpati Didis in next five years.”

During the event, the PM also launched the ‘G-Safal’ scheme to provide financial assistance to the SHGs and the ‘G-Maitri’ scheme to provide aid to startups working for rural livelihood. PM Narendra Modi was also accompanied by Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel and Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil for the event.

The PM also congratulated CM Patel as his government started a drive to make 10 lakh Lakhpati Didis from SHGs in the state. Presently there are over 1.50 lakh Lakhpati Didis in Gujarat.

“Gujarat has shown the entire country that when the policy and destiny are right, the strength of women is definitely revealed,” Modi said.

He further added, “Gujarat has given a successful model of cooperative sector… at its core is the hard work of lakhs of women. The credit for the success of global brands like Amul, which revolutionized milk production in villages, and Lijjat Papad, which gave new heights to home industry, goes to rural women. The role of women is strengthening the rural economy.”

“More than 10 crore women across the country are associated with 12 lakh SHGs, out of which 3 lakh Sakhi Mandals are functioning in Gujarat. The central government is providing a loan assistance of Rs 20 lakh to the SHG groups without guarantor, which is a step of our government’s complete faith in women. This initiative will accelerate the economic empowerment of women in the country and especially in rural areas.”

Steps taken for safety of women

Elaborating on the various steps and decisions taken by the government for the safety of women, PM Modi said, “Across the country, 800 fast track courts have been set up to ensure strict and speedy punishment to the criminals committing crimes against women. Through such speedy trials, the convicts in over three lakh rape and POCSO cases, have been strictly punished. Provision has been made to file a chargesheet in a rape case within seven days and punishment within 45 days.”

He said that the aggrieved women can file a complaint through e-FIR through any police station in the country.

“My government changed the law to introduce capital punishment for heinous crime like rape,” Modi said. Our government gives highest importance to ‘samman’ (honor) and ‘suvidha’ (facilities) for women, he said.

“There will be no obstacle in protecting the honor, dignity and security of women,” he said.

The PM said that when a woman starts earning a living, her social status in the society increases. “With the increase in income, the purchasing power of the family also increases. When a sister becomes a Lakhpati Didi, the fate of the entire family changes”.

Noting the contribution of women in the development of India, which is “steadily moving towards becoming the third largest economy in the world”, PM Modi asserted that women’s development “was neglected in the past”. Modi said, “Gujarat has started a tradition of making women the owners of houses under different schemes. Such tradition has been implemented across the country and under the PM Awas Yojana, three crore women in the country have become homeowners”.

Referring to the presence of women during the Navsari event, Modi said, “We can see the power of women in this event. The full responsibility of this event has been given to women. The police and security officers deployed for the security of such a large event are all women, from constables to SP, DSP, senior officers. The security of this event is handled by women and it is the best example of women power.”

The PM also visited the stall exhibition of special Sakhi Mandals of 33 districts and the special Rain Water Harvesting Project exhibition of Navsari.

During his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi had launched many women-oriented schemes such as Chiranjeevi Yojana, Kanya Kelavani-Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, Mamata Din, Kunwarbai’s Mameru, Saat Phera Group Marriage and Abhayam Helpline among others.