Hooked on progress: Rural development through self-employment

Driven by its vision of inclusive growth, the state government continues to empower citizens through transformative welfare schemes aimed at strengthening rural economies. One such remarkable success story has emerged from the quiet village of Khairi in Sirmaur district, where Ghulam Rasool, a modest farmer, has rewritten his destiny — thanks to timely government support in fisheries and animal husbandry.

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Once dependent on small-scale agriculture and traditional livestock practices, Rasool struggled to make ends meet. But a turning point came when he came across the state’s self-employment schemes offering subsidised loans and financial aid. In 2023, after approaching the Assistant Director of the Fisheries Department in Nahan, he secured a Rs 3 lakh fish farming project with a 30 per cent subsidy.

Harnessing this opportunity, Rasool built four fish ponds on his land and stocked them with Pangasius and Rohu fingerlings sourced from Nalagarh in Solan district. In less than two years, his fish farming venture yielded an income of Rs 6.5 lakh, earning him a net profit of Rs 4.5 lakh. His enterprise also created jobs for two local youth and his farm now attracts regular buyers from Chandigarh and Uttar Pradesh, with fish sold at Rs 70 to Rs 100 per kg.

Buoyed by this success, Rasool expanded his efforts in 2024 by venturing into goat farming. With assistance from the Animal Husbandry Department, he launched an ambitious Rs 60 lakh project — half financed through a bank loan and the rest through government subsidy. He constructed two goat sheds and a fodder storage unit and procured 300 goats and 15 male kids from Sangrur, Punjab.

In just a year, Rasool’s herd has grown to 450 goats. Commercial sales are set to begin next year and he now employs five more locals on his farm. With eyes set on scaling up to 1,000 goats, Rasool is fast becoming a source of inspiration for over 500 families in surrounding villages, encouraging them to adopt goat rearing as a sustainable and profitable livelihood.

To strengthen his knowledge, he also completed a 15-day training programme at the Central Research Institute in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. His disciplined approach, coupled with government assistance, has turned his small village farm into a beacon of rural entrepreneurship.

Rasool credits his transformation to the progressive self-employment policies of the state government. “I am deeply grateful to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and the departments that supported me,” he says. “This journey has not only changed my life but is now helping others dream bigger.”

From subsistence farming to running two thriving agri-enterprises, Ghulam Rasool’s story stands as a shining example of how strategic state support, combined with individual initiative, can spark lasting change in rural India.