Seed capital worth Rs 1.85 cr disbursed to 185 SHGs

Seed capital worth Rs 1.85 crore was disbursed to 185 Stree Shakti self-help groups under Amrutha Swasahaya Kiru Uddime Yojane at a programme organised by Dakshina Kannada district administration, Zilla Panchayat, National Rural Livelihood Mission and department of women and child welfare, at Nethravati auditorium in Zilla Panchayat building on Friday.

Each group was provided with seed money to the tune of Rs 1 lakh.

District In-charge Minister V Sunil Kumar, while handing over cheques to members of self-help groups, said that Amrutha Swasahaya Kiru Uddime Yojane is one among the 15 schemes implemented by the government to mark the occasion of the 75th year of Independence.

Initially, the taluk level screening committees had shortlisted 241 self-help groups. The district-level committee later selected eligible 185 self-help groups and submitted the proposal to the government in October 2021. Bantwal with as many as 55 SHGs and Beltangady with 41 SHGs top the list of taluks, he said.

Under the scheme, the beneficiaries will take up various activities such as mushroom cultivation, preparation of snacks, poultry farming, jasmine cultivation, beekeeping, Areca plate making and so on, the minister said and urged beneficiaries to utilise the funds judiciously.

Dakshina Kannada is the first district in the state to disburse seed capital under the scheme, he said.

Mangaluru City South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath presided over the programme.

Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) Mayor Premananda Shetty, DK Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Kumar, Women and Child Welfare department Deputy Director Papa Bovi, among others, were also present.

Smart city projects

The projects being initiated under Mangaluru Smart City Mission should be completed ahead of the revised schedule, the minister said while presiding over a meeting to review the progress of projects initiated under the Mangaluru Smart City Mission at MCC council hall.

All projects aimed at improving basic facilities at a total cost of Rs 930 crore should be completed by December 2022, he stressed.

The minister said that the 42 km-long underground drainage (UGD) system and different works at Mangala Stadium Complex and Tannirbhavi Beach should be completed at the earliest.

He told officials that during his next visit, he would personally inspect the UGD works, Mangala Stadium Complex and Tannirbhavi Beach.

Mangaluru North MLA Dr Y Bharat Shetty, Mayor Premananda Shetty, Smart City in-charge managing director Prashanth Mishra, MCC Commissioner Akshay Sridhar, among others, were also present.