FORMATION OF SELF HELP GROUP AS A DEVELOPING AGENCY OF SOCIETY: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY ON SHG IN DUBIA GAON PANCHAYAT OF SONITPUR DISTRICT AND JAMUGURI GAON PANCHAYAT of LAKHIMPUR DISTRICT, ASSAM

Self Help Group (SHG) means small informal association of people created for the purpose of enabling members to economic benefit of their own. The concept of formation SHG is that it rectifies the changes that have been took place due to group approach in the field of rural development. There are various Self Help Groups created in every corner of Assam for this purpose. Government has also taken some initiatives in the formation of Self Help Groups for the better development of rural society and economic development of the poor people. In this paper, an effort has been made to find out economic development of the SHGs. This paper tries to through lights as how SHGs contribute to the process of socio-economic development and empowerment. It also tries to find out the various socio-cultural activities taken by SHGs. The study is primarily based on the field survey, conducted in the Dubia Gaon Panchayat, Sonitpur district and the Jamuguri Gaon Panchayat, Lakhimpur district of Assam. It reveals that SHGs lead to personal empowerment in terms of creating awareness on social issues and access to savings and other socio-cultural affairs. The study also reveals it that most of the SHGs remain far distance to reach the goal.