Mumbai: Maharashtra CM Shinde announces hike in funds for Self Help Groups

Self Help Groups SHGs in Maharashtra will be given Rs 30000 under the state Rural Livelihood Mission instead of the earlier Rs 15000 Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced on FridayA budgetary allocation of Rs 913 crore will be made for this he told the legislative assembly hereThere are 46956 community resource persons in the SHGs who get Rs 3000 per month each and now they will be paid Rs 6000 per month he saidAn allocation of Rs 163 crore will be made for the purpose Shinde saidThe monthly wages of 2741 contract workers will be increased by 20 percentLoans of Rs 11771 crore have been disbursed to 475 lakh SHGs through the banks the chief minister said adding that 96 percent of loans disbursed under the Rural Livelihood Mission have been repaid and nonperforming assets NPAs stood at only 431 per centEarlier Shinde said that a suitable plot has been identified for the rehabilitation of the survivors of the devastating Irshalwadi landslide The state planning agency CIDCO will take charge of constructing permanent homes for the affected families The landslide which occurred on July 19 in the hilly hamlet of Irshalwadi in Raigad district resulted in the loss of at least 27 lives with 57 people still reported missingCurrently the survivors are being accommodated in containers and the new homes by CIDCO will provide them with secure and stable living conditionsIn addition to this announcement CM Shinde also revealed plans for higher financial assistance to those impacted by heavy rains and floods in the state Each affected family will now receive Rs 10000 which is an increase from the previous amount of Rs 5000 Small shop owners will be provided with Rs 50000 in aid while roadside shops known as tapris will receive Rs 10000 in assistanceThis financial aid will be extended to those affected by natural calamities that occurred between June and October 2023Also readRaigad landslide survivors to get permanent homes financial aid increase for rain and flood affected Maha CM ShindeDuring his speech in the assembly CM Shinde indirectly made reference to some individuals response to the Irshalwadi landslide tragedy While not mentioning names he contrasted his handson approach of visiting the site in person to those who arrived in luxury vehicles possibly alluding to his former party chief and Shiv Sena UBT president Uddhav Thackeray CM Shinde emphasized that his government is committed to working for the welfare of the people and does not let ego get in the way of seeking funds from the Central government for the states developmentFurthermore the CM announced a significant increase in the honorarium of agriculture workers raising it from Rs 6000 to Rs 16000 demonstrating the governments efforts to support the agricultural communityCM Shinde also highlighted that 145 lakh farmers who have repaid their dues on time have already received Rs 50000 each as financial assistance Additionally another 50000 farmers are set to receive the same supportMoreover he mentioned the implementation of crop insurance for farmers at a nominal cost of Re 1 to provide them with muchneeded protection against crop lossesOverall these measures reflect the governments commitment to supporting those affected by natural disasters and promoting the wellbeing of various communities in the state With inputs from PTI