POONCH: Deputy Commissioner Poonch, Vikas Kundal today chaired a meeting to review the progress of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) in the district. The meeting focused on assessing ongoing strategies aimed at enhancing rural income through sustainable livelihood initiatives.

During the meeting, the Deputy Commissioner conducted a comprehensive review of targets and achievements for the financial year 2025-26. Key focus areas included the formation and strengthening of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), promotion of farm and non-farm livelihood activities, SHG-bank linkages, financial inclusion, operationalization of Van Dhan Vikas Kendras, community-managed training centres and overall physical and financial progress across all blocks.

The District Nodal Officer NRLM informed that the district currently has 4,563 active SHGs comprising 33,243 members, along with 342 Village Organizations and 29 Cluster-Level Federations, indicating a strong foundation of community mobilization and participation.

Discussions also emphasized the need for a well-defined income-generation roadmap with a particular focus on women empowerment through SHGs and flagship initiatives like the "Lakhpati Didi" scheme.

The Deputy Commissioner underlined the importance of coordinated efforts among all stakeholders to diversify livelihood options and ensure inclusive, sustainable rural development across the district.

The meeting was attended by the Assistant Commissioner Development, Assistant Commissioner Panchayat, District Panchayat Officer, Headquarter Assistant, District Nodal Officer NRLM, Block Programme Managers and other concerned officials.