October 12, 2001
‘43’ SWARANJAYANTI GRAM SWAROZGAR YOJANA14 LAKH SELF HELP GROUPS BY 2004
The Swaranjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) is a major self-employment programme under implementation in the entire rural areas of the country. The programme aims at creating self-employment opportunities for the rural poor with emphasis on Self Help Groups, by providing them assistance through Government subsidy & banks credit. The programme was launched on 1st April 1999.
It aims at establishing a large number of micro-enterprises in the rural areas. The beneficiaries’ families (known as Swarozgaris) may be individuals or groups (Self-Help Groups). The objective is to bring every assisted family above the poverty line in three years subject to availability of funds. In establishing the micro-enterprises, the emphasis under SGSY is on the cluster approach. For this, 4-5 key activities are to be identified in each block based on the resources, occupational skills of the people and availability of markets. The key activities are to be selected with the approval of the Panchayat Samitis at the block level and the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA)/Zila Parishad (ZP) at the District level. The major share of SGSY assistance is in activity clusters. SGSY adopts a project approach for each key activity. A fund known as ‘SGSY – Infrastructure Fund’ is maintained by the DRDAs and can also be utilised to generate additional funding from other sources.
The effort under SGSY is to cover 30% of the poor in each block in next five years. Care is taken to ensure that the maximum numbers of Panchayats are covered without jeopardizing the quality of the programme. SGSY focuses on Group approach. This would involve organization of the poor into Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and their capacity building. Efforts are made to involve women members in each SHG. The Central and State Governments in the ratio of 75:25 share funds under the SGSY.
An expenditure of Rs. 1114.39 crore was incurred and a credit of Rs. 1445.10 crore was mobilized during 2000-2001. A total of 5.31 lakh Self-Help Groups have been formed since 1.4.99 and 21.15 lakh Swarozgaris have assisted upto July 2001. The Revised Budget Estimates under the SGSY during the current financial year 2001-2002 has been placed at the level of Rs. 700.00 crore.
At a National Conference convened on Self-Help Groups in June 2001, at Hyderabad, it was resolved to constitute, in the next 3 years, 14 lakh SHGs in all Habitations of the country. This will mean about 70-80 lakh women being involved in action and taking up self-employment.