Maharashtra CM announces hike in funds for Self Help Groups

Self Help Groups (SHGs) in Maharashtra will be given Rs 30,000 under the state Rural Livelihood Mission instead of the earlier Rs 15,000, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced on Friday.

A budgetary allocation of Rs 913 crore will be made for this, he told the legislative assembly here.

There are 46,956 `community resource persons’ in the SHGs who get Rs 3,000 per month each and now they will be paid Rs 6,000 per month, he said.

An allocation of Rs 163 crore will be made for the purpose, Shinde said.

The monthly wages of 2,741 contract workers will be increased by 20 percent.

Loans of Rs 11,771 crore have been disbursed to 4.75 lakh SHGs through the banks, the chief minister said, adding that 96 percent of loans disbursed under the Rural Livelihood Mission have been repaid and non-performing assets (NPAs) stood at only 4.31 per cent.