Imphal, September 25 (NNN): The “Lakpati Didi” scheme has provided benefits to nearly 11,000 women in Manipur during the ongoing crisis, according to N Bandana Devi, Secretary of Skill, Labour, Employment and Entrepreneurship and State Mission Director of Manipur State Rural Livelihood Mission (MSRLM).

Speaking at the inauguration of the “Rural Roots Market” held on Thursday at Irilbung High School Ground, Bamon Kampu Gram Panchayat in Imphal East, Bandana said the state is targeting 53,000 beneficiaries in the next three years. “We already had 11,000 Lakpati Didis during the crisis, and we should aim even higher to become ‘crorepati didis’,” she said.

The Lakpati Didi Yojana, launched by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, seeks to empower women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) by enabling them to earn an annual household income of over Rs 1 lakh through sustainable livelihoods.

Despite fears that SHGs would weaken after violence erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023, several groups from both the hills and the valley continued to extend assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Bandana urged households living below the poverty line to take advantage of MSRLM initiatives, stressing that the launch of the “Rural Roots Market” is meant to promote self-reliance through the buying and selling of local products.

Imphal East Deputy Commissioner, Nivedita Lairenlakpam, attended the event as president. The market, which will be organised monthly, opened with 80 stalls representing different SHGs across the district.