YINGKIONG, Dec 21: Members of women SHGs from nine CD blocks under the Deendayal Antodaya Yojana NRLM (DAY-NRLM) – Jengging, Yingkiong, Riga, Rumgong, Pangin, Aalo West, Basar, Mebo and Ruksin – assembled here in Upper Siang district on 19 December under the banner of ‘Siang Ane Gidum’, at the initiative of the Arunachal State Rural Livelihoods Mission (ArSRLM).
This region has nearly 500 SHGs under the DAY-NRLM, covering approximately 4500 rural households.
The SHG members earlier formed committees at their respective blocks and mobilized other SHG members to create a common platform to share their experiences and celebrate their association with their SHGs and federations.
The women also mobilized financial resources through voluntary contributions from SHG members. ArSRLM officials also provided support to this movement in several ways, especially in the form of assisting in transportation.
The women SHG members mobilized nearly 4000 women to attend the programme.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister Alo Libang said: “The collective power of women SHG members who have been thoroughly oriented and trained by the ArSRLM under the DAY-NRLM has the potential to ensure holistic development of rural areas of Arunachal Pradesh.”
He advised them to have increased interaction among themselves, “which corresponds with the concept of cluster-level federations.”
The minister advised the SHG members against serving liquor, and urged them to support their fellow women in their efforts to eradicate social evils.
He assured full support to the federation of women to enable them to access all the entitlements under the development programmes of the union government.
The Siang Ane Gidum presented a memorandum to Libang for construction of a training centre-cum-dormitory for SHG members from the Siang belt under the DAY-NRLM.
Prominent social worker Yamang Modi spoke on the need for leveraging the enormous strength demonstrated by the women SHGs in their struggle against narcotics and social evils.
She also spoke on the need for women SHG members to address women’s health and hygiene issues during meetings at the SHG and federation levels. She added that “there is need for improving financial inclusion, since it affects women the most.”
Ex-ZPM Bading Teng also spoke.
