Odisha government strengthens woman led development for viksit Bharat

Mission Shakti Department Disburses ₹208.35 Crore Interest Subvention to Over 2.67 Lakh SHGs

DCM Pravati Parida warns against Cyber crimes

Bhubaneswar, March 2026: In a significant step towards women empowerment, the Government of Odisha organized a special programme on Tuesday at Mission Shakti Bhawan, Bhubaneswar. On this occasion, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Mission Shakti, Smt. Pravati Parida, disbursed financial assistance, including interest subvention, to lakhs of Women Self-Help Groups (SHGs), aiming to strengthen their economic activities and promote women entrepreneurship.

Addressing the gathering, the Deputy Chief Minister stated that women are now at the forefront of the State’s development journey. While earlier efforts focused on how to uplift women, today they have emerged as key drivers of social and economic transformation in Odisha. She emphasized that as SHG members grow economically stronger and self-reliant, they are laying a solid foundation for a developed Odisha. She further urged women to effectively utilize financial resources provided under various government schemes, reinvest their earnings wisely, enhance financial literacy, and remain vigilant against rising cyber frauds.

The Deputy Chief Minister also interacted virtually with SHG members and officials from districts such as Koraput, Balasore, Kalahandi, Ganjam, and Keonjhar. She reviewed the grassroots implementation of schemes and assessed whether the benefits of interest subvention have successfully reached the SHGs. She also engaged with Bank Mitras, Krushi Mitras, Pashu Mitras, and other grassroots-level functionaries to evaluate the effectiveness of programme delivery.

During the programme, interest subvention amounting to ₹208.35 crore was provided to 2,67,131 SHGs across the State against their bank loans. Additionally, in the financial year 2025–26, a total of ₹724.39 crore has been reimbursed as interest subvention to 3,80,763 SHGs.

To further strengthen grassroots institutions, financial assistance was also extended under various categories. A total of ₹6.43 crore was provided as Revolving Fund to 3,510 SHGs. Similarly, ₹57.05 crore was disbursed as Community Investment Fund to 180 Gram Panchayat Level Federations (GPLFs), and ₹1.40 crore was extended to 101 Cluster Level Federations (CLFs) under the Vulnerability Reduction Fund.

The programme was attended by Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Mission Shakti, Ms. Mansi Nimbhal; Joint Secretary Ms. Mamata B.; Additional Secretary Mr. Jyoti Shankar Mohapatra; and General Manager of UCO Bank, Mr. Bhagwat Singh Bhakuni, along with other senior officials of Mission Shakti and allied institutions. At the district level, a large number of SHG members, executive committee representatives, Chief Development Officers-cum-Executive Officers of Zilla Parishads, District Social Welfare Officers, District Programme Coordinators, District Project Managers, and other officials joined the programme through virtual mode.

Aliva Avilipsa