CM Omar Abdullah Lauds J&K’s Rural Transformation Under UMEED, Thanks EAM Jaishankar for Repatriation of 6 Accident Victims from Kuwait

BuzzBytes News Desk
Srinagar, May 13: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday congratulated the Rural Development Department and J&K Rural Livelihoods Mission (UMEED) for their remarkable contribution towards transforming rural livelihoods and empowering women across Jammu & Kashmir, while also expressing gratitude to External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar for facilitating the repatriation of the mortal remains of six residents who lost their lives in a tragic road accident in Kuwait.
The Chief Minister said the sustained efforts of the Rural Development Department and UMEED have brought about a significant socio-economic transformation in rural areas by strengthening women-led Self Help Groups (SHGs) and promoting financial inclusion and entrepreneurship. His remarks came against the backdrop of growing national recognition received by Jammu & Kashmir’s women-led rural development initiatives under UMEED.
Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Shivraj Singh Chouhan also commended the leadership of the Jammu & Kashmir Government and UMEED for the remarkable achievements across the Union Territory. In a letter addressed to the Chief Minister, the Union Minister stated that continued focus on scaling high-value enterprises, strengthening market ecosystems and deepening convergence would further accelerate the progress achieved under UMEED, expressing confidence that Jammu & Kashmir would continue to set benchmarks in women-led rural development.
Highlighting the financial inclusion component, the Union Minister said progress has been complemented by over ₹3,106 crore in bank credit and ₹820 crore in capitalization support facilitated under the programme. During his Budget Speech 2026-27, the Chief Minister had reiterated that under the Lakhpati Didi initiative, 2,00,952 SHG women had already become Lakhpati Didis, while the remaining 32,048 potential households would be covered by June 2026. Over 8.10 lakh women have been mobilised into more than 96,000 SHGs, with over ₹3,106 crore in bank credit facilitated and more than 2.30 lakh women achieving annual incomes above ₹1 lakh under the Lakhpati Didi initiative.
The Chief Minister also appreciated the efforts of the Indian Embassy in Kuwait for extending timely assistance and support to the bereaved families following the tragic road accident on April 8 in the town of Saad Abdullah near Kuwait City. The deceased, all residents of Rajouri and Poonch districts — five from Surankote in Poonch district and one from Thanamandi in Rajouri district — were killed while returning from work. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for eternal peace to the departed souls, as well as strength and fortitude to the bereaved families to bear the irreparable loss. (BuzzBytes)