Chandigarh, August 10, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Cabinet Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond on Monday said the Bhagwant Mann government had significantly accelerated women’s economic empowerment through the expansion of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), with interest-free loans to such groups rising sharply over the past four years.
Comparing the four-year period from 2022 to 2026 with the preceding 11 years from 2011 to 2022, Sond said 28,734 SHGs had been formed under the Mann government, compared with around 29,053 during the previous 11-year period.
He said nearly 2.90 lakh women had joined SHGs in the past four years, against about 2.97 lakh additions during the preceding 11 years.
Sond said the most significant change had been in access to interest-free credit. While only ₹1.71 crore in interest-free loans was provided to SHGs between 2011 and 2022, the Mann government had extended ₹631 crore in such loans in four years.
“This is not merely an increase in numbers; it is an investment in the economic independence of Punjab’s women,” Sond said, adding that affordable and interest-free credit enabled women to establish or expand livelihood activities and contribute more substantially to household incomes.
The minister said revolving fund support had also been doubled, from ₹10,000-₹15,000 per SHG earlier to ₹30,000 per group.
He further said 2,427 Village Organisations had been established during the Mann government’s tenure, compared with 1,806 in the preceding 11 years. The number of beneficiaries under the Community Investment Fund had also risen from 6,234 to 9,244, he added.
Sond said the government viewed women’s empowerment not merely as a welfare measure but as an important component of Punjab’s economic development.
“When the women of Punjab become financially strong, the entire family becomes stronger, villages become stronger and the state’s economy becomes stronger,” he said.
The minister said the government would continue strengthening SHGs, expanding financial assistance and promoting sustainable livelihood opportunities to help women achieve greater economic self-reliance and dignity.
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