Assam CM announces financial scheme for women in self-help groups

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced a financial scheme for women who are part of self-help groups. 

Addressing the media today, CM Sarma said that the government is going to introduce a scheme for women of self-help groups who reside in rural areas. It would be named as the Chief Minister's Women Entrepreneurs Scheme. 

Here, CM Sarma said that through this scheme they want to transform women from rural areas into entrepreneurs with the target of creating 'Lakhpatis' out of them. He also said that through this scheme women would be helped in three phases. 

"In the first phase, the women will create a business plan. They can also plan as a group to take their business forward. Once they submit their business plan to us and fill our the required forms, then government will transfer Rs 10,000 in their bank accounts in the first year. Hence 39 lakh women will get Rs 3,900 crore from the government," said CM Sarma. 

The Assam CM also said that the government would assess whether the women in question would be able to perform the required business activities so that the money does no go waste. Here, he said that the beneficiaries who avail this scheme, and who belong from the general and OBC categories, should not be having more than three children. 

"If any woman had four chidren, then she will be disqualified from the scheme. However, women from the Moran, Mottock and tea garden communities would get relaxation till four children, even though they also fall within the OBC category. Women from SC and ST categories will be qualified for this scheme even if they have four children," said the Assam CM. 

The Assam CM also said that two undertakings would be taken from the beneficiaries of the scheme for the sake of social justice. 

"First undertaking is that if the beneficiary has a daughter, then the daughter must be admitted in a school. Secondly, if some beneficiary has two or three children, then they must promise that they will not go for another child. once they fulfil these two undertakings, they will receive the money in the first year," said CM Sarma. 

It was also stated that in the second year, the beneficaries would be availed a loan of Rs 12,500 from bank and then government will give them an additional amount of Rs 12,500, making it a total amount of Rs 25,000. While the bank loan has to be returned, the amount given by government need not be returned. With this, the women will be getting a sum of Rs 35,000 over a period of three years. 

The Assam CM also said here that during the second installment of the amount, the government will check whether the amount given in the first installment was properly utilised or not. 

It was also stated that forms for the scheme would be distributed in village panchayats across the districts of Upper Assam from January 18 and January 25, during which the forms have to be collected by the aspiring beneficiaries. A date to submit the forms will soon be announced by the government in this regard. 

Another condition which the CM stated is that trees planted by the aspiring beneficaries as part of the Amrit Vriksh movement would have to be doing well. Otherwise no money would be given.