Balodabazar. Under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission’s ‘Bihan’ scheme, effective efforts are being undertaken in the Balodabazar-Bhatapara district to steer women belonging to Self-Help Groups (SHGs) toward economic self-reliance. As part of this initiative for women’s empowerment, the members of the ‘Dhanlakshmi Mahila Group’ from the village of Nawagaon have set a new precedent for economic prosperity through self-employment. In alignment with the government’s objective—and keeping in mind the goal of transforming women into ‘Lakhpati Didis’ (women earning over one lakh rupees annually)—the group members have been integrated into various commercial activities, resulting in a visible and positive improvement in their standard of living.
Duleshwari Yadav, a member of the Dhanlakshmi Mahila Group, shares that the ‘Bihan’ scheme has enabled her to step beyond the confines of her home and forge a new identity as a successful entrepreneur. Currently, the women of the group are playing a pivotal role in supplying essential construction materials—such as bricks, fly-ash bricks, and centering plates—to beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) to facilitate the completion of their housing projects. Since commencing this work in January 2025, the group members have, through sheer hard work and dedication, generated a net income exceeding one lakh rupees—a tangible testament to their economic self-reliance. Through this meaningful initiative operational in the district, women are not only being empowered to become self-reliant but are also being accorded an empowered status within society by being integrated into the mainstream of development. This participation of women in PMAY construction activities is not only accelerating the building process but is also simultaneously strengthening the rural economy. The success of these women from Nawagaon currently serves as a source of inspiration for other Self-Help Groups across the district, demonstrating that, given the opportunity, rural women too can become economically prosperous and capable.
