Latest news with #VidyutSakhis
Time of India
28-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Vidyut Sakhis net over 11-time jump in revenue for UP
Lucknow: If revenue generation was any measure of the success of any project, then the 'Vidyut Sakhi' programme of the UP govt may well qualify to be in the spotlight. Records show that the revenue collected in the form of electricity bills by 'Vidyut Sakhis' registered more than an 11-time jump from just Rs 87 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 1,045 crore in 2024-25. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In the first quarter of 2025-26, electricity bill collection under the ambitious programme has already reached a mark of Rs 256 crore. It is expected to soar well beyond the 2024-25 collection. Initiated during the Covid pandemic, the programme of the rural development department was projected as a key initiative to provide employment to women in rural areas. It was conceptualised at a time when rural economies were severely stressed due to reverse migration and job losses. By engaging women from rural self-help groups (SHGs) in bill collection duties, the govt not only aimed to fill a critical service delivery gap in electricity revenue realisation but also created a new income stream for women with limited access to formal employment. UP state rural livelihood mission (UPSRLM) data show that the programme consistently amplified its ambit across rural areas with revenue generation rising from Rs 87 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 262 crore in 2022-23, to Rs 466 crore in 2023-24, and eventually Rs 1,045 crore in 2024-25. In all, around 15,000 active vidyut sakhis have managed to collect revenue of over Rs 2,000 crore for the state govt to date. Close to 30,000 women are registered with the UPSRLM under the programme. Officials said that the UPSRLM trained another batch of around 14,000 women for deployment as Vidyut Sakhis. In the financial year 2024-25, the Vidyut Sakhis received about Rs 13.4 crore as commission. Moreover, they collected electricity bills worth Rs 303 crore under the OTS scheme. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In return, they got a commission of Rs 3.5 crore. As many as 438 Vidyut Sakhis succeeded in becoming 'Lakhpati Didi', an initiative aimed at empowering women in SHGs to achieve an annual household income of Rs 1,00,000 or more. Experts said that it was not just about the financial aspect but also about enabling sustainable livelihoods and a better standard of living for these women. The initiative encourages women to adopt various income-generating activities and provides them with the necessary support and resources. The over 11 times increase in revenue recovery, experts said, illustrated two takeaways: scalability and efficiency of the model, and trust and reach of Vidyut Sakhis within their communities.
Time of India
11-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Changemakers who turned gamechangers: UP's SRLM trains women as local leaders to boost rural economy
LUCKNOW: It was a chilly Dec morning of 2021 when the cellphone of Priyanka Maurya, a local State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM) functionary in Sultanpur, was a call from a state govt official who broke what was indeed a big news – Priyanka, a local banking correspondent Sakhi (BC-Sakhi), was adjudged the best performing worker in providing mobile banking services to the locals at the peak of the pandemic and was now scheduled to be felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.'It was the biggest day of my life. Everything changed since then,' recalls a beaming moves door to door to help people deposit and withdraw money from their bank accounts and subsequently submits all the records at the local Bank of Baroda branch, which acts as her individual turnover has often ranged around Rs 2 crore per month – fetching her a commission of around Rs 50,000 per month.'This is a sizable amount that helps me support my family and makes me feel proud,' said Priyanka, who also got felicitated by chief minister Yogi Adityanath in is not alone. UP has nearly 40,000 BC Sakhis who have carried out nearly 13.5 lakh bank transactions in the state. The transaction amount has been a whooping Rs 34,588 crore and the 'Sakhis' have earned a commission of nearly Rs 95 concept of 'Sakhi' that seeks to empower women has, in fact, many versions like Vidyut Sakhi, Samuh Sakhi, and Krishi Ajivika like BC Sakhis, Vidyut Sakhis are essentially entrusted to collect electricity bills, primarily in rural Shukla is one of them.A resident of Silauta village in Barabanki, Rajshree has been offering essential service to her community by collecting electricity bills by going door to door. In the financial year 2024-25, Rajshree collected around Rs 9 crore, which translated into a commission of over Rs 12 lakh Vidyut Sakhi initiative was launched by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in May 2020. UP now has more than 30,000 identified Vidyut Sakhis. Over 13,900 of them have collected over Rs 1,870 crore in UP in the past four years, earning Rs 24.6 crore in commission, since the launch of the initiative.'The uniqueness of the Sakhi project is its structure. Besides being women oriented, the entire programme is internally well connected,' says Deepa Ranjan, Mission Director of the State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM).The Sakhi initiative has also been tweaked to be rechristened as 'Didi'. For instance, Alpana Devi, a resident of Mandirar village in Bijnor, has been nicknamed 'Drone Didi' for her pioneering use of drone technology in rural applications, which has had a significant impact on her all started in 2023 when Alpana joined a local self-help group (SHG) and got an opportunity to get trained in flying used drones to increase worm productivity, monitor crop health, identify pest infestations, and assess water requirements. This technology enabled the precise application of pesticides and insecticides, reduced labour costs and environmental approach improved yields and brought about more sustainable varieties. She also applied drone technology for surveying and mapping. Creating detailed land maps helped resolve land problems and improved land management. Her work also included planning and monitoring rural infrastructure projects such as roads and irrigation systems, allowing better implementation and maintenance, according to an internal draft record of SRLM. UP SRLM cadre system identifies and trains local women to become community resource persons. These cadres mobilize rural women into SHGs, fostering collective action and financial discipline. The cadre system creates a robust network that enhances savings, access to credit, and income-generating activities, injecting vitality into the rural economyCadres provide hands-on training in skills like bookkeeping, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and sustainable livelihood practices (for example, farming, animal husbandry, or handicrafts). This empowers rural women to diversify their income sources beyond traditional agricultureCadres such as Bank Sakhis assist SHG members in opening bank accounts, securing loans and managing funds like the revolving fund and community investment fund provided under linking SHGs to formal banking systems and govt schemes, the cadre system ensures a steady flow of capital into rural households, encouraging investment in micro-enterprisesThe cadre system supports women in setting up micro-enterprises by helping them develop livelihood business plans and connecting them to markets, technology, and resourcesSRLM cadres work to integrate SHGs with schemes from ministries like agriculture, animal husbandry, and micro, small & medium enterprises. This convergence amplifies the economic impact by providing rural women with assets, subsidies, and technical support, fostering a multiplier effect on rural growthThe Lakhpati Didi Initiative aims to enable SHG members to earn a sustainable annual income of at least Rs 1 lakh, transforming them into 'Lakhpati Didis'. The UP SRLM cadre system is instrumental in achieving this goalThe cadre system's efforts have a cascading effect. Empowered women reinvest their earnings into education, healthcare, and household improvements, stimulating local demand and economic activity
