Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo today chaired a high-level meeting to review the Jammu & Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (JKRLM) and directed effective convergence with Mission YUVA, PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME), and the Lal Ded Stree Shakti Scheme to maximize employment and sustainable livelihood opportunities for rural women.

The meeting, attended by senior officials including Secretary Rural Development and Managing Director JKRLM Subhra Sharma, emphasized empowering women through enhanced access to credit, entrepreneurship support, and capacity building. The Chief Secretary directed the mission to cover at least 5,000 women under the Lal Ded Stree Shakti Loan Scheme and expand credit linkages for Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and Community Enterprise initiatives.
Subhra Sharma highlighted major achievements: 7.66 lakh rural households mobilized into 94,962 SHGs across 20 districts; Rs. 528.86 crore provided in capitalization support; SHGs accessed Rs. 2,806.06 crore in bank credit since 2013-14. Under the Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP), 7,280 rural enterprises were established, with ₹16.53 crore disbursed through the Community Enterprise Fund.
JKRLM is expanding its digital footprint through 710 SHG members working as Banking Correspondents, facilitating transactions worth ₹123 crore this year. The “Lakhpati Didi” initiative has trained 17,811 women to become micro-entrepreneurs earning over ₹1 lakh annually. SHG products are now featured on e-commerce platforms, and nine district-level Haats and retail outlets have been set up, with participation in seven SARAS Melas nationwide.
To enhance sustainable livelihoods, 39,450 women have been linked with income-generating activities in agriculture, horticulture, and allied sectors. Additionally, 8,820 Mahila Kisans are adopting agro-ecological and livestock practices. JKRLM has signed an MoU with the National Resource Organisation (OMPLIS) to strengthen cluster-level federations and training centres, develop modules on governance, finance, and gender, and enhance leadership capacities. Exposure visits to successful livelihood models in other states are also underway.
The Chief Secretary lauded the Mission’s efforts and called for coordinated action to scale up interventions, promote financial literacy, and ensure the economic self-reliance of rural women across Jammu and Kashmir