own poverty reduction action plans dovetailing local issues. Rural Development Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said here on Wednesday that NRLM will be introduced in a restructured format.
Under the NRLM, it is proposed that up to Rs 7,500 per beneficiary would be provided for capacity building and training in place of the present provision of Rs 5,000 per beneficiary.
Deshmukh said, “Rural self-employment training institutes would be set up with an aim of having at least one such institution in each district in the country in partnership with banks.”
Under the mission, the revolving fund per SHG would be raised to Rs 15,000 and a capital subsidy of Rs 15,000 to individual ‘swarozgaries’ of general category and Rs 20,000 to SC/ST and physically challenged.
For SHGs, the subsidy extended to them will be Rs 20,000 per capita subject to a maximum of Rs 2.50 lakh.
The minister said their target is to raise Rs 6,800 crore through banks for SHGs this year for which they are holding talks with several banks.
The new programme will have special focus on the poorest household who are currently dependent on MGNREGA, and these families will be supported to broaden their livelihood through asset and skill acquisition.
Strengthening the SHG (self-help group) movement, the NRLM proposes universal social mobilisation through such institutions and forming SHG federations at the level of villages, cluster of villages, blocks and districts. The other feature will be greater involvement of states in taking forward the NRLM.
While the role of the Centre will be to provide technical support, the states will have the flexibility to develop their own action plans based on their local requirement and availability of resources, Deshmukh said.
He indicated that there are plans for a dedicated SHG bank to extend credit, while sources said talks are already underway with the Finance Ministry in this regard.