Bandipora entrepreneur Shaheena Begum wins PM Modi’s praise

Bandipora, Feb 20: Bandipora’s Shaheena Begum, who has set up multiple ventures providing livelihood and employment avenues for herself and others, won Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s praise during an online interaction on Tuesday.

PM Modi hailed her as a true businesswoman when she revealed how she was able to earn a livelihood and even support more families as a job provider after availing loans from the government’s employment schemes for rural people.

“You are a real businessperson,” the PM said when Shaheena revealed her aspiration of selling her products beyond Jammu and Kashmir.

Appreciating Shaheena, he said, "My greetings first of all go to your parents who raised you and provided you education and made you a postgraduate. Even after graduating, you preferred to settle in a village and got married there and continued to dream big.”

PM Modi said that nobody could have taken such advantage of this interaction the way Shaheena did as she advertised her product to the nation.

Shaheena, a beneficiary of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM)’s Self Help Group (SHG) scheme, has been able to set up small-scale industries like rice flour mill, spice mill, oil expeller, poultry farm, and honey extracting venture in her village.

Talking to Greater Kashmir, she said, “I am making enough from these ventures and am also providing employment to others. I also manage better upbringing and education for my children. I am a living example of Lakhpati Didi.”

Shaheena expressed the same views while interacting with PM Modi who congratulated her for her achievements.

“Many many congratulations from me for becoming Lakhpati Didi,” he told her. “It is a happy feeling for me, but when I talk about Lakhpati Didis, those living in Delhi are not able to digest the fact that someone like you from a rural area can achieve such a feat.”

Appreciating Shaheena, he said, “You have done it. The nation will know it is possible.”

She said that in her journey, besides the government, her husband’s support had proven vital.

“I always went forward with a motive of doing something different. To provide people with pure and unadulterated products,” Shaheena said.

She said she was thankful to PM Modi and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s administration for providing such schemes that were uplifting the poor and those in rural areas with fewer avenues.

Shaheena said that during her interaction with PM Modi, she felt motivated.

“I felt he is supportive and understands our thought process,” she said. “It was a happy feeling.”