Guwahati: Hundreds of women from self-help groups swarmed the Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission office in the Singimari Development Block on Thursday. They demanded answers. The protesters accused officials of rigging the Women Entrepreneurship Scheme to line their own pockets.
These women run small operations selling eggs and ducks. They claimed Local Resource Groups, Community Resource Persons, and block officials ignored their applications for years. The corruption runs deep. The women alleged that Jeevika Sakhis, Sanjog Sakhis, and Britta Sakhis demanded Rs 2,000 from every group to clear the paperwork.
Refusal meant exclusion. If a group did not pay the bribe, staff denied them vital financial assistance. As the crowd swelled at the Samaguri constituency site, staff members fled the building. They used various excuses to avoid the protesters rather than facing the claims of graft. The women are now calling for a full investigation. They stated, "The government should ensure that genuine beneficiaries receive the benefits without corruption or bribery."
The group demands swift action against everyone involved in the scheme. They want the money and the help they earned. Officials have yet to provide a response.
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