To provide livelihood opportunities to urban poor families, urban local bodies in collaboration with banks are extending financial support to self-help groups (SHGs). So far, 9,318 SHGs have been formed, connecting over 9,000 urban poor families. Additionally, 642 area-level federations and 34 city-level federations have been established to economically empower these groups.
The Urban Development and Housing Department has disbursed nearly ₹6.75 crore as revolving funds to 6,720 SHGs. Under self-employment programs, loans amounting to approximately ₹77 crore have been approved for 5,723 individual beneficiaries and ₹11 crore has been sanctioned to 396 SHGs as group loans. Furthermore, bank linkage for 3,581 SHGs has facilitated the disbursement of ₹21.5 crore in loans.
Urban SHGs have been integrated with central schemes such as AMRUT 2.0 and the Swachh Bharat Mission by the Urban Development Department. In the first phase, work orders worth ₹56 lakh have been issued to 20 SHGs across 10 urban local bodies, including Jabalpur, Bhopal, Indore, Narmadapuram, Chhatarpur, Gwalior, Rewa, Chhindwara, Dhar, and Dewas. These groups have been tasked with activities such as water quality testing, the operation and maintenance of public parks, sanitation awareness, and solid waste management. An additional 45 urban bodies have been identified for the second phase of the project.
Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, 166 SHGs are actively involved in sanitation and solid waste management tasks. These groups are contributing significantly to cleanliness and nvironmental conservation efforts in urban areas.
Contribution to Horticulture and Food Processing: SHGs have also been linked to the Prime Minister's Micro Food Enterprises Scheme (PMFME), a central initiative under the Horticulture Department. As part of this scheme, 126 SHGs comprising 708 members have received seed capital of ₹3 crore through area-level federations for food processing activities. Additionally, proposals amounting to ₹2 crore have been submitted for 103 SHGs involving 600 members for horticulture activities.
Training and Women’s Empowerment: Continuous training is being provided to urban SHGs in food processing and horticulture-related activities. Efforts are underway to involve more women in these groups to ensure their economic empowerment and self-reliance. Through this initiative, urban SHGs are not only serving as a means of livelihood for urban poor families but also contributing to their social and economic upliftment. This initiative reflects a significant step towards making urban poor families self-reliant and improving their quality of life through sustainable and inclusive development.
