Manipur: 3.5 lakh women to get Rs 10,000 grant under new empowerment scheme

The Manipur Cabinet has approved a new women’s empowerment scheme that will provide financial assistance to 3.5 lakh women belonging to recognised self-help groups (SHGs) across the state.

Under the Women Empowerment (WE)–Manipur scheme, each eligible woman will receive a grant of Rs 10,000 during the first year. The beneficiaries will subsequently be eligible for interest-free loans in the second and third years.

The scheme was approved during a Cabinet meeting held at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Babupara on August 28.

The government said detailed guidelines and notifications for implementing the scheme would be issued separately.

The scheme is targeted at women who are members of recognised SHGs, with the government planning to move from an initial grant to interest-free credit in the following two years.

The Cabinet decision comes as the state government seeks to use self-help groups as a platform for expanding access to financial assistance among women.

While the first-year support will be provided as a grant, the second- and third-year assistance will be structured as interest-free loans, allowing beneficiaries to access further financial support without an interest burden.

The Cabinet did not provide details on the size of the overall financial allocation for the scheme or the timeline for disbursing the first instalment.

The government is expected to notify the detailed eligibility criteria, application process and other implementation provisions through separate guidelines.