Jashpur.
Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai today launched ‘Bijli Sakhi Yojana’ under an important initiative. In this program organized at Chief Minister Camp Office, Bagiya, 21 self-help group women of Bagicha Development Block were selected as Bijli Sakhi, to whom the Chief Minister provided special electricity kits. Chief Minister’s wife Kaushalya Sai was also present on this occasion.
On this occasion, Chief Minister Sai said that Bijli Sakhi Yojana is being started as a pilot project only in Bagicha block. Bijli Sakhi will do meter reading in the villages and give electricity bills to the consumers. By paying the bill on time, the consumer will be saved from the burden of increasing the bill and then paying it. Earlier, people used to complain about the bill not arriving on time. To stop this, this experiment is being done. If this experiment is successful, it will be implemented in Jashpur district, then the Bijli Sakhi scheme will run in the entire state. He wished all the Bijli Sakhis associated with self-help groups to become Lakhpati Didi. The objective of Bijli Sakhi Yojana is to empower women and connect them with employment. Under the direction of Jashpur District Collector Dr. Ravi Mittal, this scheme has been started as a pilot project, where women who have become Bijli Sakhi have been given training in meter reading. Under the scheme, women will be paid Rs 12 for taking meter reading of each house, which will provide them regular income and strengthen their financial condition. Chief Minister Sai said on this occasion, “Bijli Sakhi Yojana is a golden opportunity for women. This scheme will help them become self-reliant and open new doors of employment.”
He appreciated the efforts of the district administration and Janpad Panchayat Bagicha on the successful implementation of the scheme. The key idea behind the scheme is that consumers often face abnormal electricity bills due to lack of meter readers. Now, with regular meter reading by Bijli Sakhi, consumers will be able to get bills on time, which will facilitate them in paying the bills and will also increase the efficiency of the electricity department. Bagicha SDM Omkar Yadav said that the aim of this scheme is to provide employment opportunities to 300 women by making them Bijli Sakhi. Currently 21 women have been appointed under this pilot project. With this initiative, the women of Jashpur district will not only get employment, but they will also become financially empowered and emerge as ‘Lakhpati Didi’. This new initiative of the state government will provide a huge opportunity for employment and self-reliance to women in other districts also, which will give a new direction to women empowerment in the state.
