VARANASI, Jan. 12 -- Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said that members of self-help groups (SHGs) should be given the opportunity to open canteens at the district training institute, railway stations, and other institutions in the district so that one crore women across the state can become "lakhpati didis."

Maurya was speaking at the launch of three new programmes at the Circuit House auditorium in Varanasi on Sunday. The programmes are aimed at increasing the income of women in SHGs and realising the dream of making them "lakhpati didis."

Under an agreement for the operation of newly constructed community halls at the Gram Panchayat level, a deal was signed between three village organisations (federations of SHGs) and three...