Department of Agricultural Extension, Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Statistics, Institute of Agriculture, Visva-Bharati, Sriniketan, Birbhum-731236, West Bengal, India
*Corresponding author email id: souvik.ghosh@visva-bharati.ac.in
Online published on 31 August, 2016.
Self help group has emerged as the most successful strategy, in the process of participatory development and empowerment of rural poor including women. Present study was conducted in randomly selected Kanker district of Chhattisgarh. A random sample of total 12 SHGs, three SHGs from each of four schemes viz. NABARD's SHG-Bank Linkage Programme (SBLP), National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA), were selected. From each of 12 SHGs a sample of 10 members were chosen as respondents in present study. Overall livelihood security of members was improved in all SHGs, the extent of improvement was comparatively more for members of SHGs under NRLM (34%) and IWMP (34%) followed by SBLP (29%) and ATMA (23%). Present level of livelihood security was also maximum in case of members of SHGs under NRLM (mean score of 24.93 out of 30) followed by NABARD's SBLP (22.17), IWMP (21.90) and ATMA (21.47). The level of livelihood of the members was improved in case of all SHGs, extent of improvement was highest in case of members under SBLP (31%) followed by IWMP (29%), NRLM (28%) and ATMA (24%). However, present level of living was highest for members of SHGs under NRLM (mean score of 20.23 out of 25) followed by NABARD's SBLP (19.27), IWMP (18.43) and ATMA (18.03). ttests showed that there were no differences between perceptions of the respective members regarding their both livelihood security and level of livelihood on joining the SHGs formed under four different programmes. Chi-square (Ξ2) test of independence also showed the same result.
Impact, Members of SHG, Livelihood security, Level of living
