An awareness programme on Self-Help Groups (SHGs) was jointly organized by NABARD, Lakhimi Gaonlia Bank (LGB) and Uttaran, an NGO, at historical Akhoiphutia Bar Namghar in Assam. About 90 participants representing leaders, members of newly formed of nine SHGs, weavers, farmers, PRI members and other local social activists attended the programme. The rural people in general suffers from realizing the benefits from the government, public undertakings, developmental agencies and NGOs as compared to urban and semi-urban people. Thus, there is a need for creating self-awareness and capacity building amongst the unprivileged rural people to exploit the potential in human and natural resources in achieving substantiability and self-reliance, he said.