Tourism Minister R. Rajendran distributing identity cards to a member of a women self-help group in Salem in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: LAKSHMI NARAYANAN E.
Tourism Minister R. Rajendran on Wednesday (December 17, 2025) said that in Salem district 1.47 lakh women self-help group (SHG) members have received their identity cards.
The Minister participated in functions held at Fort, Omalur, and Poosaripatti in the district on Wednesday and distributed identity cards for women SHG members.
Speaking at the function, the Minister said that in 1989 the Women SHG was started in Dharmapuri by former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. In Salem District, there are 20,313 women SHGs: 5,468 in urban areas and 14,845 in rural areas and 2.04 lakh women are members.
In Salem district, ₹132 crore in loans received by 41,754 members from 4,292 SHGs were waived off. In the past four-and-a-half years, ₹5,924.79 crore in funds were distributed to SHG members. In the past two years, SHG members received seven State-level awards from the district. At the function held in Salem on September 16, 2025, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin inaugurated the distribution of identity cards for SHG members and provided the cards to 40,000 members. In the second phase, 30,000 SHG members received the cards and on Wednesday, an additional 77,000 members received the cards in the district, the Minister added.
Explaining the details of beneficiaries, the Minister said that in Salem Corporation alone there are 30,334 members in 2,690 groups and ₹430.42 crore in loans were distributed in the past four-and-a-half years. On Wednesday alone 6,000 SHG members received identity cards.
In the past four-and-a-half years in Omalur taluk, 6,069 members from 539 groups received ₹390 crore in loans. In Kadaiyampatti Taluk, 4,319 members from 397 SHGs received ₹230 crore in loans. Under the Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam Scheme, 506 SHG members are volunteering and under the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme, 2,346 women SHG members are working in 1,284 schools in the district, the Minister added.
District Collector R. Brindha Devi, Deputy Mayor M. Saradha Devi, Project Director for Magalir Thittam Vani Eswari and officials from departments concerned also participated.
Published – December 17, 2025 07:17 pm IST
