An awareness program to Self Help Groups on various finance schemes available with banks and to link the account of SHGs with the banks was held in Sankoo on October 13. 

The program was organised by the Department of Rural Development, Kargil for NRLM Self Help Groups through Rural Self Employment Training Institute (RSETI) Kargil in collaboration with State Bank of India and Jammu and Kashmir Bank Sankoo.

EC, Rural Development, and Panchayati Raj, Er Punchok Tashi stressed that they should make serious efforts to adopt innovative technologies in order to improve rural livelihood which is the mission of the Central Government. He said the need of the hour is to strengthen SHGs in rural areas, especially focusing on agriculture as a livelihood for which cash crops should be grown, and focus should be laid to bring out products like jam, juice, pickles, etc.

He also spoke about Lahoul Potato Society (LPS), a successful cooperative movement being run in Lahoul Spiti region of Himachal Pradesh. He said that the chairman of LPS is visiting Kargil soon to participate in a district-level farmers' meet to share his experiences and success story, adding he urged the SHGs to participate in such programs.

ACD Kargil, Ghulam Muhammad spoke about the need for eradication of poverty through NRLM activities and impressed upon members to practically work individually as well as at the group level.

Meanwhile, Manager RSETI, Muhammad Shafi spoke about the importance of the development of livelihood activities through credit linkage with banks.