Published on: July 09, 2026
By: BTNI
Location: Rajnandgaon, India
The first anniversary of “Diidi Ke Goth”, the monthly radio programme of the Chhattisgarh State Rural Livelihood Mission (Bihan-NRLM), was celebrated across the state on Thursday. The programme, broadcast on the second Thursday of every month at 2:00 PM through all All India Radio (Akashvani) stations in Chhattisgarh, showcases the achievements of Self-Help Group (SHG) women at the state and national levels.
To mark the successful completion of one year, anniversary events were organized at the state, divisional and district levels. During the celebration, the 12th episode of the programme was broadcast simultaneously across the state.
A district-level event was held at the District Panchayat Auditorium in Rajnandgaon, attended by District Panchayat President Kiran Vaishnav, District Panchayat CEO Suruchi Singh, elected representatives, officials, employees and several Lakhpati Didis associated with the Bihan mission.
Rajnandgaon Women Share Their Journey to Financial Independence
During the programme, two women entrepreneurs from Rajnandgaon district—Gyaneshwari Nishad of Khaira village and Rukhmani Sahu of Sukuldaihan village—shared their inspiring journeys of economic empowerment.
From Farm Labour to Running Raj Bihan Rasoi
Gyaneshwari Nishad spoke about her journey from belonging to a modest farming family dependent on agriculture and daily wage labour to becoming a Lakhpati Didi through the Bihan mission.
She explained that after joining a Self-Help Group, she managed group bookkeeping and later started operating the Raj Bihan Rasoi at the Rajnandgaon Collectorate campus, which significantly improved her family’s financial condition.
Multiple Livelihood Activities Helped Rukhmani Sahu Become a Lakhpati Didi
Rukhmani Sahu shared that she initially worked as a homemaker before joining the Bihan programme. Through the mission, she began working as an FLCRP and Bima Sakhi, and gradually expanded into multiple livelihood ventures.
Today, she successfully operates:
- A fancy stationery and general store
- A rural LPG distributorship
- A Common Service Centre (CSC)
- Several other income-generating activities
She said the Bihan mission helped her become financially independent and self-reliant.
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Radio Programme Also Creates Social Awareness
Rukhmani Sahu appreciated the “Diidi Ke Goth” programme for spreading awareness on important social issues. She noted that the 10th episode, which focused on cyber fraud prevention and the importance of not sharing OTPs, helped educate women in rural areas and increased awareness about digital safety.
She thanked the state government for launching such an informative initiative.
State-Level Recognition for Outstanding Women Entrepreneurs
At the state-level celebration held in Raipur, both Gyaneshwari Nishad and Rukhmani Sahu were honoured with commemorative mementoes in recognition of their outstanding livelihood achievements.
Meanwhile, at the divisional-level programme in Durg, another Rajnandgaon-based Lakhpati Didi, Divya Nishad from Kusmi village, interacted online with the Chief Minister and shared her success story of becoming financially self-reliant through multiple livelihood activities under the Bihan mission.
Empowering Rural Women Through Bihan
The Diidi Ke Goth radio programme has emerged as an effective platform for highlighting the achievements of women associated with the Chhattisgarh State Rural Livelihood Mission (Bihan-NRLM). Besides inspiring rural women through real-life success stories, the programme also disseminates useful information on financial literacy, digital awareness, government schemes and entrepreneurship, encouraging more women to achieve economic independence.
