The Ministry of Rural Development has highlighted the role of over 9 lakh Community Resource Persons and millions of other frontline workers who deliver government services directly to villages across India. These trained grassroots cadres support programmes in agriculture, health, finance, sanitation and social welfare, connecting rural households to opportunities they would otherwise struggle to access.
The Scale of the Network
The government employs more than 9 lakh Community Resource Persons (CRPs) working in rural areas. Of these, approximately 4.08 lakh focus on livelihoods in agriculture, livestock, fisheries, forest products and small enterprises. The remaining 5 lakh work in financial inclusion, insurance, gender awareness and community development.
Supporting this workforce are:
- Over 10.40 lakh Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs)
- 10.58 lakh Anganwadi Workers trained in nutrition and early childhood care
- Over 10.36 lakh functionaries trained under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) for sanitation promotion
The CRPs include Krishi Sakhis (agricultural advisers), Pashu Sakhis (livestock support), Matsya Sakhis (fisheries), Bank Sakhis (credit access) and Business Correspondent Sakhis (digital banking). As of June 2026, nearly 4.32 lakh rural enterprises have received support under the Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme.
Under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission, approximately 10 crore rural households are organised into 92 lakh Self-Help Groups. Bank Sakhis have helped these groups access 13.41 lakh crore rupees in bank credit since 2013-14. During 2025-26, more than 3.81 crore women SHG members received financial literacy training.
What this means for you
If you live in a village, these workers provide doorstep access to banking, farm advice, health check-ups and enterprise training without travelling to towns. Rural women benefit particularly as many cadres are women themselves, often earning monthly incentives tied to service delivery. The network also helps connect households to government schemes like PM Kisan and social security programmes through trained local representatives who understand community needs.