Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday congratulated the rural development department and the Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (UMEED) for their remarkable contribution towards transforming rural livelihoods and empowering women across the Union Territory.
He said the sustained efforts of the rural development department and the UMEED have brought about a significant socio-economic transformation in rural areas by strengthening women-led self help groups (SHGs) and promoting financial inclusion and entrepreneurship.
The chief minister’s remarks came in the backdrop of a growing national recognition for Jammu and Kashmir’s women-led rural development initiatives under the UMEED.
Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Shivraj Singh Chouhan also commended the leadership of the Jammu and Kashmir government and the UMEED for the remarkable achievements across the Union Territory.
In a letter addressed to the chief minister, Chouhan said a continued focus on scaling high-value enterprises, strengthening market ecosystems and deepening convergence would further accelerate the progress achieved under the UMEED, according to an official spokesperson.
Expressing confidence in the programme’s future trajectory, Chouhan said Jammu and Kashmir would continue to set benchmarks in women-led rural development.
In his communication, the Union minister observed that Jammu and Kashmir has emerged as a strong example of inclusive and women-led rural transformation under the UMEED.
Highlighting the financial-inclusion component, he said the progress has been complemented by more than Rs 3,106 crore in bank credit and Rs 820 crore in capitalisation support facilitated under the programme.
During his budget speech for 2026-27, Abdullah had reiterated that under the Lakhpati Didi initiative, 2,00,952 SHG women had already become LakhpatiDidis, while the remaining 32,048 potential households would be covered by June to further enhance women’s economic empowerment and rural enterprise.
More than 8.1 lakh women have been mobilised into more than 96,000 SHGs, with over Rs 3,106 crore in bank credit facilitated and more than 2.3 lakh women achieving annual incomes of above Rs 1 lakh under the Lakhpati Didi initiative.
The chief minister had also said the government would proactively increase the number of LakhpatiDidis by converging the initiative with Mission Yuva.
