Can't have saving institutions for men: Jairam Ramesh
"Women save money, men spend. We can't have saving institutions for men," Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said today.
He said this while rejecting Kerala's Congress-led Government's demand that the funds allocated under National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) for poverty alleviation programme in the state should be extended to male-centric missions too.
"NRLM is for women, not for men. This is official. Kerala Government wants to open NRLM to men and I will say no. NRLM is for women. The essence of SHG (Self Help Group) explains it. Women save it, men spend. We can't have saving institutions for men," the Minister said at Livelihood India Conference here.
Kerala is witnessing a controversy over the issue as Kerala Rural Development Minister K C Joseph had earlier lashed out at Ramesh for his firm stand that the central funds for the state-level poverty eradication and women empowerment missions would be made available to only "Kudumbashree".
Ramesh's strong support to Kudumbashree, the state's nodal agency for NRLM, has disappointed sections in the stateCongress who have been complaining that Kudumbashree has been hijacked by the CPI(M).
They also want alleged pro-Congress "Janasree Mission" to be considered for liberal central support.
During his interactions with the delegates, Ramesh also said, "We have to be very very careful about how to spend public money" and cautioned against "political capture which is certainly one threat" that the SHG organisations face in some states.
Joseph had taken a strong exception to Ramesh's stand that it would be difficult for the Centre to provide
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