In a major push towards women empowerment and Viksit Bharat, the Odisha Government on Tuesday disbursed Rs 208.35 crore as interest subvention to over 2.67 lakh Women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under the Mission Shakti Department.
Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Mission Shakti, Pravati Parida, presided over the special programme held at Mission Shakti Bhawan, Bhubaneswar. She handed over the financial assistance aimed at reducing the interest burden on SHG loans and strengthening women’s entrepreneurship across the state.
Addressing the gathering, Parida highlighted the transformative role of women in Odisha’s development. “Earlier, the focus was on uplifting women. Today, women have become the key drivers of social and economic change in the state,” she said. She added that economically empowered and self-reliant SHG members are laying a strong foundation for a developed Odisha.
The Deputy Chief Minister urged SHG members to utilise government-provided financial resources effectively, reinvest earnings wisely, improve financial literacy, and stay vigilant against rising cyber crimes and fraud.
Parida also interacted virtually with SHG members and officials from districts including Koraput, Balasore, Kalahandi, Ganjam, and Keonjhar. She reviewed the on-ground implementation of schemes and ensured that interest subvention benefits reached the intended beneficiaries. She further engaged with Bank Mitras, Krushi Mitras, Pashu Mitras, and other grassroots functionaries to assess programme delivery.
In the current financial year 2025–26, the Mission Shakti Department has so far reimbursed a total of Rs 724.39 crore as interest subvention to 3,80,763 SHGs.
Additionally, the government extended support to strengthen grassroots institutions:
– Rs 6.43 crore as Revolving Fund to 3,510 SHGs
– Rs 57.05 crore as Community Investment Fund to 180 Gram Panchayat Level Federations (GPLFs)
– Rs 1.40 crore as Vulnerability Reduction Fund to 101 Cluster Level Federations (CLFs)
The programme was attended by Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Mission Shakti, Mansi Nimbhal; Joint SecretaryMamata B.; Additional Secretary, Jyoti Shankar Mohapatra; General Manager of UCO Bank, Bhagwat Singh Bhakuni, and other senior officials. A large number of SHG members and district-level officers joined virtually.
This initiative underscores the Odisha Government’s continued commitment to women-led development as a cornerstone of building a Viksit Odisha and contributing to Viksit Bharat.
