Excelsior Correspondent
CHENANI (UDHAMPUR), Dec 13: Cheerfulness and satisfaction reflected from the face of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah when he met 60 years old Satya Devi of Baghpur village in Jaganu Panchayat of Block Chenani in Udhampur district and heard her story of success achieved under the initiative UMEED introduced, projected and implemented by Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah in the State after observing its fantastic results in Amethi Constituency of Utter Pradesh.
Satya Devi was living from hand to mouth and totally dependent on others even for a penny until she became a member of a Self-Help Group organized under UMEED programme in Block Chenani. She received Rs. 1000 as financial assistance from the Group and started vending peanuts. The activity brought turnaround in the life of the old lady and UMEED initiative empowered her economically to live a happy life and also supplement the earnings of the family.
Her daily profit with a small business is Rs. 30 to Rs. 35 at present which she expects to be increasing with the flourishing of business. “I am a happy person and thankful to you”, she told Omar Abdullah adding that his initiative UMEED has generated a new hope of living more and more years of happy life.
Satya Devi’s face was full of joy and she was emotionally so lifted that her eyes were watered to see Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah at her thresh hold. She while giving all credit of the economic turnaround achieved by her and other various members of UMEED SHGs in her Block to Omar Abdullah said that UMEED has ignited confidence in women and they are enthusiastically getting involved in the programme to seek economic and social upliftment.
Similar was the condition for Pushpa Devi who received the Chief Minister at her little house warmly and as a token of love presented him five eggs out of the backyard poultry unit of some ten poultry birds she has started under UMEED. Omar Abdullah reciprocated his gesture by providing her five poultry birds of improved variety to add to her poultry unit.
The Chief Minister visited over a dozen of houses in the village to take first hand appraisal of the status of activities taken by rural women to improve their socio-economic conditions under the UMEED initiative projected and piloted by none less than Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah himself in the State which targets covering of 9 lakh rural women in five years in the 22 districts of the State.
Omar Abdullah interacted with the members of UMEED Self-Help Groups (SHGs) heard their success stories and asked them to narrate these tales to the fellow women in their, and adjacent villages so that they also become the members of SHGs and improve their socio-economic condition.
He said that women constitute 50 percent of the State’s population and their development and economic well-being constitutes necessary part in the State’s development policy. He said unless proper attention is paid to the well-being and empowerment of women particularly living in rural areas the development will not be complete.
Pinning hope in UMEED initiative, the Chief Minister said that this programme has tremendous scope to uplift the women economically, give them confidence and improve their social condition. He said this will also bring prosperity to rural households and result in a major turnaround in State’s economy and resource generation.
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