Bhubaneswar: The State Government has been facilitating the formation and strengthening of various women-led community-based institutions including Self Help Groups (SHGs), Cluster Level Forums (CLFs), Gram Panchayat Level Federations (GPLFs), Block Level Federations (BLFs), and District Level Federations (DLFs) to accelerate holistic social and economic empowerment of women across the state.
These initiatives have been undertaken by Department of Mission Shakti and Odisha Livelihoods Mission (OLM) under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) of the Government of India.
For effective governance and transparent functioning, these institutions democratically select their leadership, including Presidents and Secretaries at the SHG level, Executive Committee (EC) members, Office Bearers (OB), and members of various sub-committees at the CLF, GPLF, BLF, and DLF levels. In accordance with guidelines issued periodically by both the Central and State Governments, leadership within these institutions is mandated to change at regular intervals. The GPLF Operational Manual, specifies democratic leadership rotation. Similarly, the Government of India’s master circular issued in 2018 prescribes leadership rotation in every level of SHGs.
This change will help to increase the equal participation of the SHG members and make the groups more active in the empowerment process
On the order of Deputy Chief Ministe Pravati Parida, the government has proactively initiated the Restructuring of Community Institutions in aligned with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India.
In coordination with both Central and State Government directives, new guidelines have been developed to ensure democratic restructuring and effective leadership renewal within these institutions. This strategic step aims to revamp institutions that have not undergone leadership changes for years, facilitating the introduction of democratic processes in governance. Through this, Self Help Group (SHG) women across the state are being provided the opportunity to actively participate in leadership transitions, thereby gaining the platform to assume decision-making roles and boost their confidence.
Additionally, the State Government is fully committed to strengthening and accelerating the development of urban Self Help Groups (SHGs) and their Federations. Efforts are being intensified to swiftly integrate urban SHGs that have been excluded from the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) of the Government of India. Furthermore, clear guidelines are being promptly formulated for the formation and restructuring of their federations, such as the Area Level Federations (ALFs) and City Level Federations (CLFs).
Through this comprehensive restructuring process, 12,42,940 new office bearers at the SHG level and 11,58,000 Executive Committee members at the Cluster Level Forum (CLF) level will assume leadership positions. Overall, more than 35 lakh women members across various institutional levels will now have the opportunity to hold diverse leadership roles, empowering them to steer their institutions toward inclusive growth and socio-economic advancement. As per the current decision, this leadership rotation will occur every three years, and no member shall hold any office for more than two consecutive terms.
The restructuring process has already commenced across various districts under the direct supervision of District Collectors. It has been decided to complete leadership transitions in all Self Help Groups within one month. Subsequently, the second and third months will witness similar restructuring in Cluster Level Forums (CLFs) and Gram Panchayat Level Federations (GPLFs). Finally, leadership changes in Block Level Federations (BLFs) and District Level Federations (DLFs) are scheduled to conclude in the fourth month. As of today, this restructuring process has been successfully completed in more than 30,000 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) across the state.
