Secretary, Rural Development Department and Panchayati Raj (RDD&PR), Mohammad Aijaz Asad, today chaired a comprehensive review meeting of the Jammu & Kashmir Rural Livelihood Mission (JKRLM), focusing on financial progress, institution building and convergence of livelihood interventions across the Union Territory.
The meeting was attended by Mission Director JKRLM, Dr. Shubhra Sharma, AMD Jammu & Kashmir, State Programme Managers and other senior officers. The Secretary was informed that JKRLM has significantly expanded its outreach, implementing the programme across 285 blocks in all 20 districts of the UT.
A total of 7,65,583 rural households have been mobilized into 94,962 Self-Help Groups (SHGs), supported by 7,422 Village Organizations (VOs) and 649 Cluster Level Federations (CLFs). Under the Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP), 7,678 enterprises have been supported across 14 blocks, with ₹18.71 crore disbursed as Community Enterprise Fund (CEF).
Farm-based livelihood initiatives are now active in every block, benefiting 5,62,944 Mahila Kisans through agro-ecological and livestock-based interventions. Commending the Mission for the progress achieved, Secretary Asad called for intensified efforts in lagging areas and urged the team to fully leverage the SHG platform to enhance rural income generation.
He emphasized strengthening financial linkages to boost access to sustainable employment and income opportunities for women. Stressing timely achievement of targets, he said the Mission’s success is pivotal to advancing women’s empowerment and self-reliance in Jammu & Kashmir.
Calling for accelerated formation of new SHGs, he directed that social mobilization be intensified and awareness of the programme’s benefits be amplified at all levels. He instructed officers to review progress daily, ensure adherence to timelines and enhance accountability of District Programme Managers.
Secretary also stressed the need to make all Community Managed Training Centres (CMTCs) functional at the earliest. While buildings have been identified in 12 districts and CMTCs established in six, he said the remaining districts must be prioritized.
Referring to the recently signed MoU with NRO (OMPLIS), he directed the mission to ensure effective implementation of training modules, exposure visits and community cadre development. He also reviewed capitalization fund disbursements to CLFs and called for greater transparency and timely financial support.
He directed the Mission to scale up SVEP and integrate it with Mission YUVA and the Lal Ded Stree Shakti Scheme to maximize impact. He further instructed the department to issue a Government Order for formal convergence between JKRLM, Mission YUVA and J&K Bank, and to immediately constitute a UT-Level Convergence Steering Committee to streamline efforts and optimize resources.
He also emphasized integrating MIS platforms across schemes to ensure real-time monitoring and data-driven decision-making. Applauding the launch of the “Millionaire Didi” compendium, Secretary urged prioritization of SHG women and SVEP entrepreneurs for incentives under Mission YUVA. The Mission Director briefed the meeting on key achievements and ongoing initiatives under the Mission.