BHUBANESWAR: The state government will have a separate Mission Shakti department that would exclusively work for around 70 lakh rural women associated with nearly six lakh women self-help groups (SHGs) created under the Mission Shakti movement.
Announcing it here on Sunday during celebration of the International Women’s Day, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said, “Odisha will be the first state to have an exclusive department for the SHGs. It will be dedicated to all the women of Odisha.”
Creation of a separate administrative department is aimed to work with more focus for the rural women under the Mission Shakti programme that aims social and economic empowerment of the rural women, said an official source.
“Mission Shakti is currently being run under the state women and child development (W&CD) department. It will now be headed by a secretary rank officer (senior IAS officer). When you have a separate department with specific area of work, things will be done in a better and focused manner,” said a senior government official.
Implemented since 2001, Mission Shakti is one of the successful programme of the Naveen Patnaik government under which around 70 lakh rural women have been successfully organized. The SHGs are also believed to be the largest support base of the Naveen Patnaik government as the rural women are considered a key factor behind BJD’s successive electoral victory in the past two decades.
In April 2018, the state government had created a separate directorate for Mission Shakti under the W&CD department while the department was also renamed as the department of W&CD and Mission Shakti.
The state government provides financial support to the SHGs through bank loans to encourage the rural women to take up various livelihood activities.
Besides their own livelihood initiatives, the SHGs have also been engaged by various departments for activities like providing mid-day meal in schools, supplying cooked food in rural healthcare centres, maintenance of rural infrastructures and managing village nurseries. The women SHGs have also been engaged by the state government in paddy procurement.
The chief minister on the occasion said Odisha is a leading state in the country in terms of empowering women. He said programmes like Mission Shakti, Mamata for pregnant and lactating mothers and reservation of 50 per cent seats in panchayati raj institutions have created a new era in women empowerment.
“From excelling in sports to entrepreneurship, achievements of the women are encouraging. My government has always emphasized on women empowerment,” said Naveen.
The state W&CD department on the occasion announced a strategy for transformational nutrition outcomes in hard-to-reach areas of the state. As part of the strategy, the department will focus on children below six years, adolescent girls, pregnant and nursing mothers in 22 districts by providing them with nutritional foods.
The state’s annual budget for 2020-21 has a separate document called nutritional budget.
Announcing it here on Sunday during celebration of the International Women’s Day, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said, “Odisha will be the first state to have an exclusive department for the SHGs. It will be dedicated to all the women of Odisha.”
Creation of a separate administrative department is aimed to work with more focus for the rural women under the Mission Shakti programme that aims social and economic empowerment of the rural women, said an official source.
“Mission Shakti is currently being run under the state women and child development (W&CD) department. It will now be headed by a secretary rank officer (senior IAS officer). When you have a separate department with specific area of work, things will be done in a better and focused manner,” said a senior government official.
Implemented since 2001, Mission Shakti is one of the successful programme of the Naveen Patnaik government under which around 70 lakh rural women have been successfully organized. The SHGs are also believed to be the largest support base of the Naveen Patnaik government as the rural women are considered a key factor behind BJD’s successive electoral victory in the past two decades.
In April 2018, the state government had created a separate directorate for Mission Shakti under the W&CD department while the department was also renamed as the department of W&CD and Mission Shakti.
The state government provides financial support to the SHGs through bank loans to encourage the rural women to take up various livelihood activities.
Besides their own livelihood initiatives, the SHGs have also been engaged by various departments for activities like providing mid-day meal in schools, supplying cooked food in rural healthcare centres, maintenance of rural infrastructures and managing village nurseries. The women SHGs have also been engaged by the state government in paddy procurement.
The chief minister on the occasion said Odisha is a leading state in the country in terms of empowering women. He said programmes like Mission Shakti, Mamata for pregnant and lactating mothers and reservation of 50 per cent seats in panchayati raj institutions have created a new era in women empowerment.
“From excelling in sports to entrepreneurship, achievements of the women are encouraging. My government has always emphasized on women empowerment,” said Naveen.
The state W&CD department on the occasion announced a strategy for transformational nutrition outcomes in hard-to-reach areas of the state. As part of the strategy, the department will focus on children below six years, adolescent girls, pregnant and nursing mothers in 22 districts by providing them with nutritional foods.
The state’s annual budget for 2020-21 has a separate document called nutritional budget.
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