Assam Launches Entrepreneurial Scheme For Women: How Will It Help?

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma launched the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyamita Asoni scheme aimed to aid 3.9 million women entrepreneurs and develop 40 lakh rupees of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) of rural women entrepreneurs also known as 'lakhpati baideos'.

The scheme will ensure an annual income of 1 Lakh rupees for each woman entrepreneur of the state and is associated with SHG who will start any business of their own separately from a list of 145 business plans associated with the government that will abide by the scheme's condition. Each eligible woman will get 35,000 rupees in three years and several phases to push them towards the 'lakhpati' goal. 

Will It Ignite Entrepreneurial Spirit?

CM announced that they had already launched a scheme for women associated with SHGs. He claimed that around 7 lakh women have already become 'lakhpati baidos' (elderly sisters with wealth). The state government is now launching a scheme of Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyamita Asoni (Chief Minister's Women Entrepreneurship Mission) for women willing to start their own businesses separate from SHGs. 

The program boasts an estimated budget of ₹3.9 crore, demonstrating the state's commitment to women's empowerment. Each eligible woman will receive a grant of ₹35,000 spread over three years. The scheme is the biggest ever launched in the state.

In the first phase of the scheme, each applicant will be given an amount of ₹10,000 to start a business amongst the 145 businesses from the government-planned list. In the second year, these women will receive ₹12,500 bank loans that must be repaid over two years while the same amount sanctioned from the government will be non-refundable to facilitate easier access to the capital. There will also be checks if the previous money granted last year has been utilised appropriately for the given cause. 

Eligibility

To be eligible for the scheme, a woman from the General and Other Backward Classes (OBC) categories (exceptions of Muttock, Moran, and tea-tribes communities) must not have more than three children. In contrast, women from Scheduled Caste (SC), and Scheduled Tribes (ST) must not have more than four children. 

CM Sarma shared that these limits have been kept to ensure women with children who would get the grant must have adequate time to be able to dedicate their time to new business. 

Another eligibility criterion is the women enrolling for the scheme must send their girl child to enrol in schools and not have more than the children numbered in the scheme signing two 'Sankalp Patras'. 

Along with a well-constructed business plan, these women will also need to submit a written undertaking and proof of the two saplings planted as per the state government scheme launched last year and these plants are appropriately being taken care of.

Provided it works without any hiccup, the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan carries immense potential to transform the lives of millions of women in Assam. By providing financial support, and a platform for entrepreneurship, the scheme can unlock their economic potential and pave the way for a brighter future for themselves, their families, and the state as a whole. Its success will be closely watched as a model for empowering women and fostering inclusive economic growth in India.