Impact of SHG Programme in Rural Households:A Micro Level Study in Odisha

The objectives of the paper are to study the impact of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) programmes on income and household expenditures of SHG members in Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha, India. Further, it is a comparative study between the More Developed Block (MDB) and Less Developed Block (LDB) of the district. It is also a comparative study between the promoting institutions NGO and Government Agency within the block. Average monthly income of the beneficiaries in MDB is more than the LDB, before and after joining SHGs. Between the promoting institutions, the beneficiaries of the government promoting institutions better than that of NGOs. Z-test result shows that SHG participation has significant influence on household income. In case of consumption expenditure, average monthly consumption expenditure also increased after participation in both the blocks. But between the promoting agencies, in MDB the average monthly expenditure under NGO is found lower than those under government agencies, which is contradictory in case of LDB. Z-test result also shows that observed difference in expenditure is statistically significant between periods in both the blocks.