Jalpaiguri, Dec. 2: The district administration, in a bid to speed up the process of economic development and uplift of women, has set itself a target of forming another 1,600 self-help groups in the next two months and engaging women in various self-employment schemes.

The drive, prompted by the Centre’s initiative to bring about economic development of society through empowerment of women, envisages setting up 4,000 such groups by March next year.

Jalpaiguri district magistrate A. Subbaiya said: “We have 2,695 self-help groups in the district. We have decided to increase the number to help more women earn money. We will also grade 40 to 50 groups on the basis of their performance and provide them with a subsidy of Rs 50,000.”

Two Alipurduar-based groups have already been selected for the purpose. The administration is also set to float a raft of new schemes. “The new schemes include setting up of beauty parlours, computer training institutes and development of tourism spots. The administration has also begun construction of two Mahila Swayambar Bhavans in each block,” Subbaiya said.

Each building is estimated to cost Rs 6 lakh. “We have handed over the amount to the block development officers with instructions to complete construction by March next year,” the district magistrate said.

The bhavans will house training-cum-display centres where the handicrafts made by local artisans would be displayed, and rooms to conduct various training programmes. “Self-help groups which need stalls to display their work will be provided with the same,” Subbaiya said.

Funds received under the Rashtriya Sama Vikas Yojana, granted for development of backward areas in Jalpaiguri and Purulia, will be used to implement the schemes.

“Under the Rashtriya Sama Vikas Yojana scheme, we have instructed officials to rank all 146 gram panchayats of the district. We will stress on the development of the first 50 gram panchayats on the basis of underdevelopment,” Subbaiya said.

The grading of the panchayats, blocks and self-help groups on the basis of the activities undertaken by them, he believed, would bring about an environment of friendly competition which, in turn, would enhance performance.

Banamali Roy, sabhadhipati of Jalpaiguri Zilla Parishad, said the Rashtriya Sama Vikas Yojana would eradicate the disparities that exist in the level of development programmes undertaken in the district.

“We will receive Rs 45 crore in three years under this scheme. Our district was chosen for this scheme because the development programmes undertaken in different parts of the district were not on the same scale. If we use the funds judiciously and plan out the implementation of the schemes, we can overcome the disparities that used to crop up earlier,” Roy added.