Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday transferred ₹33.22 crore directly into the bank accounts of 3,848 beneficiaries under the Chief Minister’s Self-Employment Scheme, officials said. The funds were released through an online platform from the Chief Minister’s residence.
Speaking during the programme, Dhami said the state government aims to encourage youth to become job creators rather than job seekers. He said the scheme has played a role in supporting small businesses, encouraging reverse migration, and generating employment opportunities at the local level.
According to the government, the scheme primarily benefits returned migrants, young entrepreneurs, artisans, handicraft workers and educated unemployed residents of Uttarakhand. Eligible permanent residents can avail loans through nationalised, cooperative and regional rural banks for manufacturing, service and trading activities.
Under the scheme, projects with a cost of up to ₹25 lakh are eligible in the manufacturing sector, while service and trading units can seek financial assistance of up to ₹10 lakh. Beneficiaries receive margin money support ranging from 15 to 25 per cent of the project cost as subsidy.
Officials said the original target was to cover around 32,000 beneficiaries, but more than 35,000 people have already availed support under the scheme. Cumulatively, loans worth over ₹1,389 crore have been disbursed, contributing to the creation of nearly 65,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities across the state.
{{/usCountry}}Officials said the original target was to cover around 32,000 beneficiaries, but more than 35,000 people have already availed support under the scheme. Cumulatively, loans worth over ₹1,389 crore have been disbursed, contributing to the creation of nearly 65,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities across the state.
{{/usCountry}}The chief minister said the government has expanded the initiative through the launch of the Self-Employment Scheme 2.0 in 2025 by integrating the existing programme with the Nano scheme. Under the revised framework, the subsidy cap has been increased to 30 per cent, with an additional incentive of up to five per cent for projects located in geographically difficult areas or linked to social and product-based priorities.
Dhami said subsidies were transferred directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts to ensure transparency and reduce delays. He added that technology-driven processes were helping improve efficiency in scheme implementation.
During the event, the chief minister interacted with several beneficiaries who shared their experiences of starting or expanding small enterprises, including libraries, vehicle service centres, fitness clubs, manufacturing units and mobile service businesses.
Industry department officials present at the programme said the scheme continues to be a key part of the state’s broader employment strategy, especially in rural and semi-urban areas.