Women panchayat heads, 'lakhpati didis' to be special guests at I-Day event

Around 400 women representatives from Panchayati Raj Institutions have been invited as special guests to the 78th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj said in a statement on Tuesday. According to officials from the rural development ministry, around 45 "Lakhpati Didis" and around 30 "Drone Didis" have also been invited as special guests to attend the Independence Day celebrations. They will be felicitated by Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday. The Namo Drone Didi and Lakhpati Didi schemes are among the important initiatives of the government for fostering economic empowerment and financial autonomy among women in rural areas. Under the Namo Drone Didi scheme, subsidies are provided to women self-help groups (SHGs) on the purchase of drones. A "Lakhpati Didi" is an SHG member whose annual income is Rs 1 lakh or more. The women Panchayati Raj representatives will be facilitated by Minister of Panchayati Raj Rajiv Ran