**Bhubaneswar:** Chairperson of Women’s Co-operative Development Corporation & working president of Biju Mahila Janata Dal Srimayee Mishra today lambasted former Odisha cadre IAS officer and incumbent BJP leader Aparajita Sarangi for raising questions on the State Government’s implementation of Mission Shakti.
The Mission Shakti programme introduced by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the year 2001 was similar to a seed which has now grown into a huge tree. Around 70 lakh women of various SHGs have joined together and over 6 lakh SHGs have been formed through it, said Mishra.
Sarangi might be afraid after knowing how the seed money or revitalization fund or revolving fund facility for women or the assistance will connect them digitally. The BJP is thinking it will not be able to mislead the women in coming days once they are empowered, she added.
In reaction to Sarangi’s question on Rs 15,000 being provided to each women-SHG under Mission Shakti, Mishra said, “Value of the amount is not visible to Sarangi. She being an ex-IAS officer has not understood the meaning of seed money and the math behind it or else she would have not given such a statement.”
Explaining the idea behind the seed money in relation to Sarangi’s statement, Mishra said, “Every SHG has five to ten thousand in their account after formation. For example a SHG has Rs 10,000 in its account and it gets Rs 15,000 as seed money, in total it becomes Rs 25,000. So showing the balance in their account, they can take loan up to Rs 1 lakh from bank at 1 per cent interest.”
At a presser held at the BJP State Headquarters here earlier in the day, Aparajita has alleged that money was not sanctioned to the women self help groups (SHGs) in 2015-16 whereas it is being distributed now keeping the ensuing polls in mind. She has also stated that the women should be made self-sufficient and independent instead of distributing money.”
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