The Mysuru Zilla Panchayat (ZP) has finalised plans to promote the Kukkuta Sanjeevini scheme, aimed at empowering women through backyard poultry farming. The initiative, announced in the 2024–25 Karnataka state budget, seeks to strengthen rural livelihoods by enabling women’s self-help groups (SHGs) to take up sustainable poultry farming with financial and institutional support.

Empowering women through poultry farming

Under the scheme, six-week-old chicks will be distributed to SHGs, while funds from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) will be used to build poultry sheds. Additionally, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences will provide subsidies and technical assistance to participating groups.

Officials said the scheme’s broader goal is to promote gender equality and help women become financially self-reliant under the Karnataka Rural Livelihood Mission (KRLM). It also aims to meet the growing demand for eggs and poultry products under government welfare initiatives such as the midday meal and anganwadi nutrition programmes.

225 SHGs identified across Mysuru district

The Mysuru Zilla Panchayat has identified 225 women SHGs across all taluks, including T Narsipura, Mysuru, Nanjangud, Sargur, K R Nagar, Hunsur, Periyapatna, H D Kote, and Saligrame. Each taluk panchayat has been directed to select between five and 25 groups to take up backyard poultry farming based on local interest and feasibility.

Women’s SHGs with five to ten members have been invited to submit proposals to avail the scheme’s benefits. Panchayat-level officers will help identify and verify eligible groups at the gram panchayat level, ensuring participation from rural women across diverse communities.

Financial assistance and subsidies

Under MGNREGA, the ZP will provide ₹4.5 lakh for the construction of a poultry shed with a capacity of 500 chicks, and ₹7.5 lakh for a shed accommodating 1,000 chicks. In addition, each group will receive a ₹25,000 subsidy to begin poultry farming.

ZP Chief Planning Officer K. B. Prabhuswamy said the veterinary department has been entrusted with supplying chicks to SHGs and training women in poultry management, disease control, and feed management. “This scheme is designed not only to support women’s income but also to create a self-sustaining rural enterprise ecosystem,” he said.

Market linkages for sustainability

ZP CEO S. Ukesh Kumar said that directions have been issued to all taluk panchayat executive officers to identify interested SHGs and link them with departments to ensure smooth implementation.

Under the scheme, SHGs may sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Departments of Women and Child Welfare and School Education to supply eggs to anganwadis and government schools. Eggs will be sold at rates fixed by the Zilla Panchayat, ensuring a stable income for women farmers and a reliable supply for social welfare programmes.

Promoting rural entrepreneurship

Officials said the initiative aligns with Karnataka’s focus on rural entrepreneurship and women’s empowerment, offering women the opportunity to participate in income-generating activities close to home. By integrating poultry farming with state welfare schemes, the programme also contributes to nutritional security and local employment generation.

The Kukkuta Sanjeevini scheme, when fully implemented, is expected to enhance egg self-sufficiency in the district and create a replicable model for women-led micro-enterprises in rural Karnataka.