Kudumbashree National Regional Workshop was held in connection with 'LokOS' Mobile Application to record information of rural NHGs at Radisson Blu Hotel, Ernakulam on 17 October 2022. Shri. M. B Rajesh, Minister, Local Self Government Department and Excise Department, Government of Kerala inaugurated the workshop. He said that Kudumbashree will take up new challenges in the field of social, economic and women empowerment based on the last 25 years of activity. He added that Kudumbashree is the shining example of women empowerment that Kerala has presented to the world. He was speaking at the inauguration of the three-day national workshop organized on the new mobile application 'LokOS' designed by the Union Ministry of Rural Development to record information and activities related to NHGs, ADSs and CDSs in rural areas.
The 'LokOS' Application is set up in connection with the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) scheme implemented in the state through Kudumbashree. The project will be implemented in selected blocks of seven states including Kerala. The workshop will be held from 17 to 20 October 2022 for the Project Implementation Officers and Kudumbashree Resource Persons in these states.
The advantage of the new mobile application is that complete information about NHG activities can be recorded in a short period of time. Activities related to this will be done through selected Resource Persons. The aim is to prepare the NHG office bearers in the rural areas to record information by training them on the mobile application, within two years.
In the first phase, the project will be implemented on a pilot basis in Mullassery block of Thrissur district. In the second phase, it is planned to start the project in the remaining 15 blocks of the district and in each block of other districts in this financial year itself. In the third phase, the scheme will be extended to the rest of the blocks in other districts.
A section of LokOS Mobile Application is the profile entry of NHGs, its members, Area Development Society(ADS) and Community Development Society (CDS). By linking with Aadhaar, one can avoid the situation of getting membership in multiple NHGs.
The second is the entry of financial transactions. In Kerala, a total of 52 people have been selected as a Resource Person for fifty neighborhood groups for these activities. They will also be given a special ID.
The project will give a new face to the NHGs who currently follow the traditional style of keeping all information including savings and loan repayments in registers and notebooks. The key feature is that once the Mobile Application becomes familiar, all the members will have all the information about the NHG activities at their fingertips. It is also an advantage to be able to know all the information like bank account, savings, loans etc. of each neighborhood group. The new scheme will also be very helpful in real-time assessment of work progress. In this way, it is possible to reduce the work load of the officers who have to keep records of the financial transactions of the NHGs and bring more efficiency and transparency to the operations.
Dr. Sharmila Mary Joseph, Principal Secretary, Local Self-Government Department presided. Shri. Jafar Malik, Executive Director, Kudumbashree welcomed the gathering. Ms Neeta Kejriwal, Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Rural Development delivered the introductory speech. Shri. Arjun Venkataraman, Programme Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation delivered the felicitation. Ms. Krishna Priya, Chief Finance Officer, Kudumbashree, Shri. A.S. Sreekanth, Chief Operating Officer (NRLM), Shri. Nirmal S.C, District Mission Coordinator, Kudumbashree Thrissur District Mission participated in the function. Ms. Preetha M.B, District Mission Coordinator, Kudumbashree Ernakulam District Mission delivered the vote of thanks.
