Asserting that the government is working under a well-knit strategy to uplift rural women, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Abdul Haq Khan Thursday said that several innovative measures have been initiated to ensure phase wise implementation of the Livelihood Mission UMEED to cover all the blocks.The Minister said this while chairing a meeting to review progress and achievements registered under the Jammu and Kashmir State Rural Livelihoods Mission ‘UMEED’.The Minister said that livelihood mission mainly focuses on women empowerment by involving them in different self-help groups for which state government is providing adequate financial support. “Women are supported in different sectors including pashmina weaving, horticulture, handicrafts, agriculture, dairy farming, provision stores, poultry farming, saffron cultivation, dress making etc” , the Minister said.UMEED scheme is being implemented in 16 districts involving more than 90,000 women hailing from 21 blocks of the state.
The Minister directed the concerned officers to identify the areas where surplus manufacturing is being done and adopt special techniques to provide adequate marketing facilities to these Self Help Groups (SHG’s).He further added that the funds under the scheme would be provided to the SHGs for setting up income generating units besides supporting their capacity building and extending marketing facilities for the goods produced.The officers were asked to conduct regular field visits to assess the extent of activities taken up by the beneficiaries under UMEED. He also asked the officers to ensure effective implementation of the scheme so that employment opportunities are generated for the women especially living in rural and far-flung areas of the state.UMEED aims at poverty alleviation through social mobilization, institutions and capacity building, financial inclusion, skill generation and a portfolio of sustainable livelihoods for empowering women.Commissioner Secretary RDD Khurshid Ahmed Shah, Mission Director G N Qasba, Retainer Consultant NRLM Farooq Ahmed Peer, Additional Mission Director, Jammu Kapil Sharma, Additional Mission Director, Kashmir Nazir Ahmed besides state, district and block level programme managers were also present in the meeting.