Rahul’s self-help groups fan out over 10 districts

Incidentally,the Congress had won the Lok Sabha seats of Jhansi,Unnao,Pratapgarh,Barabanki,Behraich,Shrawasti and Faizabad. The plan now is to take the project to the Bundelkhand region.

Though the RGMVP aims for the empowerment of women in rural areas by organising them in Self Help Groups (SGH),it also creates awareness among women about their political rights.

The groups function as a medium to get microfinance from banks. The RGMVP makes arrangements for the women’s training in various industries — fruit and vegetable preservation,leather works,dairy activities and preparation of vermin compost. The marketing of the products is also arranged by the RGMVP.

It is an initiative of the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust that works in close collaboration with the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. The project has the support of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP).

The project’s activities started in Rahul Gandhi’s constituency Amethi and Sonia Gandhi’s constituency Rae Bareli in 2002 and 2005. It expanded its work areas in one or two blocks of the remaining 10 districts around May 2008. “In the 10 districts,the project is still in its nascent stage,” a source added.

Although the RGMVP claims that the project is not associated with any political party,it is considered a political tool for Rahul Gandhi to communicate the message of his development agenda.

“The women who get associated with it virtually function like silent workers of the Congress Party in Amethi and Rae Bareli,” said a Congress leader of Amethi.

According to the information available on site of RGMVP,the project covers 1,06,459 families in Amethi and 88,507 in Rae Bareli.

Those who get associated with the project know that they enjoy the patronage of Rahul Gandhi,who uses his political clout for their socio-economic development.

“The banks are at their doorstep to ensure benefits for the women under the micro-financing system,” said a Congress leader. “Rahul personally monitors the progress of the project and spends time meeting the self-help groups during his visit to the Amethi.”

It was during meetings of such groups that he spent time in Dalit houses in the past and shared the villagers’ experiences. At one of these meetings,British Foreign Secretary David Miliband had accompanied him.

A party source in Amethi said: “The RGMVP first identifies the economically deprived families. Then it gets their women to share a platform in the village and hold meetings for the success of the SHG.”

Only one woman from each family can join the groups. Every group is asked to develop the habit of saving mo-ney and after two months of its formation,loaning out the money,said a source explaining the process the pro-cess of expansion of the gro-ups. “Six months after its formation,the group can avail its first cash credit limit,” he added.