No of SHGs up by 70% since Feb 2015, but none in Arunachal

NEW DELHI: The number of Self Help Groups has gone up by nearly 70 per cent between February 2015 and August 2016 even as a parliamentary panel observed the north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh does not have even a single SHG.

The ' Committee on Empowerment of Women', which tabled its report in the Rajya Sabha today, also recommended to increase the SHG coverage in the northeast region.

The committee observed the northeast region is financially excluded owing to the difficult terrain and socio-cultural climate. It also pointed out there was lack of adequate banking system in the region.

"The total number of functional SHGs under NRLM has increased from 17,44,189 to 28,78,004 during the period from 2015 to 2016," the panel observed.

It noted that Andhra Pradesh accounts for 23 per cent, the largest number of members of functional SGHs under the NRLM; followed by 17.87 per cent in Bihar, and 14.71 in Telangana and 9.24 per cent in Kerala.

SHGs under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) provide space for self-help, mutual cooperation, collective action for social and economic development and enable women to overcome financial constraints affecting their economic development.