SHGs strengthening rural economy in Tripura: Agriculture minister

Tripura Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath emphasized the importance of preserving culture and tradition for health and well-being, while highlighting the pivotal role of Self Help Groups (SHGs) in strengthening the rural economy.

Speaking at the Pithe Puli Utsav held at Kathalia HS School in Dhanpur, Sepahijala district, the Minister noted that globalization has altered traditional eating habits. “In this season, our mothers traditionally prepared healthy Bengali delicacies like pithe, mua, nadu, murir mua, and chirar mua. Today, these are often replaced by street food, which contributes to rising stomach-related ailments. Preserving our culinary traditions is essential for safeguarding our health. I am not discouraging other foods, but our culture has inherent value,” he said.

The Minister described the Pithe Puli Utsav as more than a food festival, calling it a reflection of culture, tradition, and self-reliance.

Citing government initiatives, he said, “Tripura has 54,627 SHGs with 4.89 lakh members. Before 2018, around 3,506 groups received a revolving fund of Rs 4.26 crore. Our government, however, has provided Rs 75 crore to 36,530 groups. Similarly, bank loans for SHGs have expanded from 900 groups worth Rs 4 crore to over 1 lakh groups totaling Rs 1,896 crore. Over 1 lakh women have become financially independent as ‘Lakhpati Didis.’ This demonstrates our commitment to self-reliance.”

He added that empowering women through SHGs contributes to broader state and national development, supporting the vision of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat. “As Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, modernization must go hand in hand with preserving culture and tradition. Unlike previous governments, which overlooked such initiatives, our SHGs are actively strengthening the rural economy,” the Minister stated.