HT Correspondent
TEZPUR, Sept 4: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday asserted that the Assam Government has made the safety, welfare and empowerment of girls and women its foremost priority.
He said the state has taken decisive measures to end child marriage and launched a series of women-centric schemes to ensure financial independence, social security and dignity for women across the state.
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Speaking at a programme in Dhekiajuli, where he ceremonially distributed cheques to 31,224 members of women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under the Chief Minister’s Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan, Sarma said that nearly 8.5 lakh women in Assam have already reached the level of ‘Lakhpati Baidews’, earning ₹1 lakh or more annually.
Many of them, he added, have advanced further as ‘Maha Lakhpati Baidews’, with incomes touching ₹10 lakh a year.
The chief minister highlighted that with a revolving fund of ₹25,000 provided by the government, SHGs have been able to free themselves from the burden of high-interest microfinance loans and take up productive activities with confidence.
With 99 per cent repayment of bank loans, he expressed optimism that the remaining 32 lakh SHG members would also be able to become ‘Lakhpati Baidews’ in the near future.
Sarma urged the beneficiaries to channel the assistance into ventures such as dairy, beekeeping, preparation of traditional food items and strengthening of family enterprises.
Explaining the phased structure of the scheme, he said women investing the ₹10,000 seed capital productively this year would qualify for ₹25,000 next year with bank support, followed by ₹50,000 in the subsequent phase.
He noted that the implementation would involve an expenditure of ₹4,000 crore in the first stage, ₹10,000 crore in the second stage and ₹25,000 crore in the third.
Reiterating the government’s commitment to women’s welfare, the chief minister announced that from September 17, coinciding with the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, beneficiaries under Orunodoi 3.0 will start receiving ₹1,250 monthly assistance.
In addition, Orunodoi families will get a subsidy of ₹250 for LPG purchases. From November 1, ration card holders will also receive pulses, sugar and salt at subsidised rates along with rice.
Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ashok Singhal, MP Ranjit Dutta, MLAs Ganesh Limbu and Prithiraj Rabha, Additional Chief Secretary of Panchayat and Rural Development B. Kalyan Chakravarty, District Commissioner Ananda Kumar Das, Mission Director of Assam State Rural Livelihoods Mission Kuntal Moni Sharma Bordoloi and other senior officials were present.
On the occasion, the chief minister also laid the foundation stone of the Akshaya Patra Centralised Kitchen at Singrijan Field and inaugurated the Postcard Resort at Durrung Tea Estate in Sonitpur district.
