Ganesh Bai on the path of self-reliance through Bihan

Became a “Lakhpati Didi” through livestock rearing, with an annual income of over ₹3 lakh

Raipur, Nov 2025 : Smt. Ganesh Marakam, a resident of Bastarbuda village in Baderajpur development block under Kondagaon district’s Janpad Panchayat, has achieved remarkable success in livestock rearing by joining the National Rural Livelihood Mission (Bihan). Today, Ganesh Marakam has created a new identity for herself as a “Lakhpati Didi”.

Ganesh Marakam is an active member of the Gayatri Women’s Self-Help Group. Through the group, she adopted maize cultivation, goat rearing, and pig rearing as livelihood sources, bringing significant changes to her economic and social life. Through these activities, she is earning an annual income of around ₹3.56 lakh. She shared that before joining the group, she supported her family through farming, labour work, and limited goat rearing, and at that time, her family’s annual income was only ₹66,000. After joining Bihan, she received support from the group in the form of ₹15,000 RF amount, ₹60,000 CIF amount, and additional loans.

Ganesh started goat rearing with just two goats, and today she has more than 200 goats in her shed and has also started pig rearing (10 pigs). Through hard work and regular care, her income kept increasing, and she is currently earning around ₹3 lakh annually. These activities have not only made her self-reliant but have also increased her income fourfold compared to earlier. She has also employed a person to take care of the goats. Today, along with financial stability, her family’s social life has also improved significantly.

In line with the vision of the central and state governments, the National Rural Livelihood Mission team is continuously providing support and guidance to such groups and women members to empower them and make them self-reliant, enabling them to engage in various livelihood activities and strengthen the economic condition of their families.