Patna,(BiharTimes): It is another example of work done on paper only.

Over 25,000 self-help groups (SHGs) that different Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) claim to have formed in Bihar are missing, with no information available about the funds they deposited.

Reports quoting sources said data collected from the district administrations about the actual numbers and locations of the registered SHGs of rural women has compelled the state government to launch a verification drive. Of the 1.25 lakh SHGs so far examined, more than 25,000 have been found to be non-existent on the ground. While some SGHs apparently stopped operations within a year of their inception, others may have existed only on paper, said officials.

In Darbhanga district only 5,473 SHGs were found functional out of the 13,674 listed. In Jamui district, only 1,282 SHGs could be located out of the 5,077 listed. In Patna district 6,166 SHGs were found functional as against the total 6,466 registered.

According to Bihar employment commissioner and Jeevika managing director Arvind Kumar Chaudhary the state government has asked the deputy development commissioners to renew work on collecting data on more than 25,000 SHGs whose names, addresses and bank accounts could not be found.

Jeevika, or Bihar Rural Livelihood Project, is a World Bank-aided, community-driven rural development project that is implementing the task of forming 10 lakh SHGs in Bihar under the Centre’s new Ajivika scheme that replaced the Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana.