UDAIPUR: National Commission for Women Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar on Wednesday called women’s empowerment the cornerstone of overall social development, addressing an interaction programme with self-help group (SHG) beneficiaries at the Matabari Block Panchayat Resource Centre here.
The event, organised under the Matabari RD Block in Gomati district, brought together SHG members with senior administrative and elected representatives to review the groups’ socio-economic progress and the ground-level implementation of government welfare schemes.
Besides Rahatkar, the programme was attended by Tripura State Commission for Women Chairperson Jharna Debbarma, Gomati District Magistrate Rinku Lather, Matabari RD Block BDO Arijit Pal, and Matabari Panchayat Samiti Chairperson Shilpi Das, along with other officials and panchayat representatives.
SHG members shared their experiences, challenges and success stories during the session. Rahatkar said welfare schemes of the central and state governments were placing special emphasis on women’s development, adding that such direct interactions helped authorities better understand realities on the ground.
Officials said the programme boosted awareness and confidence among participants about available government benefits, and expressed hope that similar initiatives would expand women’s socio-economic advancement at the grassroots level in future.