Odisha to Restructure Mission Shakti, Link All Households with SHGs

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government has announced plans to restructure the Mission Shakti programme with the objective of connecting every household to women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida informed on Sunday.

Highlighting past shortcomings, Parida alleged that the previous government had failed to link all eligible households with SHGs, despite directives from the Centre. She said that many SHGs remained unregistered, which prevented audits and excluded deserving families from the Mission Shakti benefits.

“The department has now initiated a comprehensive effort to ensure every household is included in the SHG network,” Parida said. She added that under the revised guidelines, SHGs will also be eligible to participate in Gram Panchayat Level (GPL) elections. The restructuring aims to foster grassroots leadership by appointing new presidents and secretaries at various federation levels.

The reorganisation of SHGs will begin in April, with leadership appointments scheduled for May at the Gram Panchayat Level Federations (GPLF), Cluster Level Federations (CLF), Block Level Federations (BLF), and at the state level. Members who have held senior posts for more than four years over two terms will be replaced.

Parida accused the previous government of using SHG leaders for political gains, stating, “Crores of rupees were disbursed to SHGs, but with no formal registration, audits were not possible. The BJP government, under the leadership of CM Mohan Charan Majhi, is committed to women’s development without political bias.”

Reacting sharply to the restructuring plan, senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Pramila Mallick criticized the BJP government, accusing it of politicizing SHGs.

“The BJP wants to insult the very women who, through their hard work, became ‘Lakhpati Didis’ under the visionary leadership of former CM Naveen Patnaik. Mission Shakti was BJD’s brainchild, and now BJP is trying to claim credit. Women are aware they are being used for political mileage,” Mallick said.

The restructuring of Mission Shakti marks a significant shift in the state’s approach to women’s empowerment and grassroots governance, setting the stage for political and administrative changes in the coming months.