HT Digital,
Guwahati, Jan 11: The Assam government has announced plans to empower 40 lakh women self-help group (SHG) members as rural micro-entrepreneurs through the MukhyaMantri Mahila Udayamita Abhiyaan.
This scheme aims to provide an assured annual income of Rs 1 lakh for each member. Beneficiaries will receive Rs 10,000 each in the first year, provided they meet the eligibility criteria.
Over the following two years, they will receive Rs 12,500 annually from both the government and the bank, totalling around Rs 25,000. Beneficiaries will have to repay the bank’s portion, but the government’s contribution does not require repayment.
An additional Rs 35,000 will be provided over three years to help women become ‘Lakhpati Baideo’. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has described the initiative as ‘Assam’s biggest ever scheme for women entrepreneurs’ and a step towards fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of building 2 crore Lakhpati Didis.
