00 Bihan Yojana is improving families, taking loans to turn farming into a profitable business.
Raipur. The effective implementation of the Chhattisgarh government's Chhattisgarh State Rural Livelihood Mission (Bihan) is bringing significant changes to the lives of women in rural areas. Dhaneshwari Sahu of Surguja district has not only become financially self-reliant but also serves as an employment provider for other villagers. A
journey from struggle to self-reliance
: Dhaneshwari Sahu, a resident of Gumgarkalan village panchayat in the Lakhanpur development block of Surguja district, explains that before joining the Jai Santoshi Maa Self-Help Group, her family's financial situation was challenging. Limited resources meant for their future were uncertain. However, after joining the group, her fortunes changed. Through the Bihan Yojana, she strengthened her livelihood through various activities. Today, she took a loan of ₹1 lakh from the group and used it as a fresh start. Dhaneshwari Sahu
turned farming into a source of income.
Using a loan, she began cultivating cucumbers using modern methods on one acre of land. The cost of cultivation was approximately 1 lakh rupees. Her hard work and dedication have resulted in a good crop yield. Currently, she sells the cucumbers produced on her farm in the Ambikapur market, where she receives a good market price of approximately 25 rupees per kilogram. Dhaneshwari Sahu explains that her financial situation was previously very weak, but after joining the self-help group, her identity has changed. Today, she stands confidently on her own feet and is becoming self-reliant. She is
also becoming a support for others.
Dhaneshwari's success is not limited to her own income. Today, she provides employment to two to four local laborers on her farm. Her husband, Santosh Sahu, also fully supports her in this work. The family, which once struggled on its own, is now providing employment for other villagers. Dhaneshwari Sahu expressed her gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai for her economic progress and social recognition, saying that through the government's Bihan scheme, millions of rural women are now getting the opportunity to live a respectable life.
Through the Chhattisgarh State Rural Livelihood Mission, rural women are being provided with better livelihood opportunities by joining self-help groups, enabling them to become self-reliant and play an important role in the development of society.