Mumbai (Maharashtra)[India], September 3 (ANI): Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday participated in a tree plantation drive alongside 'Lakhpati Didis' in Mumbai and held an interaction with women from Self-Help Groups (SHGs) ahead of his meeting with bankers.
"Today, I planted trees alongside 'Lakhpati Didis' in Mumbai. Our Prime Minister has pledged to create six crore Lakhpati Didis. I am happy to share that approximately 3.5 crore Lakhpati Didis have already been created, and we are now moving rapidly towards achieving the target of six crore," Chouhan said.
The Minister acknowledged that women often face difficulties in obtaining bank loans due to numerous formalities and delays in disbursement. "Before meeting with bankers, a meeting is scheduled for today in Mumbai; we decided to first consult the women themselves: those working in Self-Help Groups and starting various businesses to become Lakhpati Didis. We want to understand the difficulties and challenges they face," he said.
During the interaction, more than 100 Lakhpati Didis joined virtually from Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand.
A beneficiary running a CSP centre said she had received an individual loan four times, but other women had not, and some bank branches were refusing to accept more than one application. Responding, Chouhan said, "We will ask the bank why they are taking more than one application."
A Self Help Group member from Maharashtra flagged that 21.49 per cent of the local population is tribal and they lack digital documents for banking, and that women were being denied loans due to poor CIBIL scores of their husbands. The Minister assured that he would take up the issue with bankers.
A woman entrepreneur from Bijnor said she started soap-making work in 2023 and her business grew rapidly, but her bank refused a loan for expansion and files remained stuck. Another beneficiary from Pune, working as a Bank Sakhi under Umed Abhiyan, said she got Rs 4 lakh from the bank and that some banks were asking for pollution certificates.
Chouhan said, "Our effort is that whatever obstacles are coming in the way of Didis starting their work, we are able to resolve those obstacles properly... We will soon create a helpline."
On the Lakhpati Didi initiative, he said, "The PM's aim under the Lakhpati Didi scheme is to make women strong entrepreneurs. We have to take it from three crore Lakhpati Didis to six crore Didis. Under that, today we have come to meet the Didis to understand their problems and to find a solution for them with the bankers."
The Union Minister told reporters, "They shared that while they have been able to start their own businesses and achieve 'Lakhpati' status thanks to bank loans, they are also facing various challenges. These issues include complex paperwork and formalities required for loans, the need for repeated bank visits, demands for guarantees or collateral, and instances where they receive a loan of only Rs 1.5 lakh despite needing Rs 5 lakh. We are currently heading into a meeting with bankers to address these matters... Our target is for SHGs to receive loans totalling Rs 10 lakh crore and for individual women to receive Rs 1 lakh crore over five years to support their work. Today’s meeting with bankers is aimed at fulfilling this objective, following our discussions with the women."
A Lakhpati Didi is a Self-Help Group member who earns an annual household income of Rs 1,00,000 or more. This income is calculated for at least four agricultural seasons or business cycles, with an average monthly income exceeding Rs 10,000, so that it is sustainable. The initiative focuses on diversified livelihood activities for women. (ANI)
3.5 crore lakhpati didis created, target is 6 crore: Shivraj Chouhan in Mumbai
