Rs. 2,500-crore schemes for women in Maharashtra budget

Through this scheme, the government aims to get one lakh households out of poverty, and accelerate work on five lakh self-help groups and other initiatives related to women empowerment.

With schemes worth ₹2,500 crore in the budget, the state is trying to woo women voters, ahead of the Assembly elections.

The government also announced a new scheme to make widows, abandoned and divorcee women independent and self-sufficient. (AP/Representative Image)

The budget announced a Navtejaswini Yojana, at a cost of ₹528 crore, aimed at improving the standard of living and entrepreneurship skills of rural women. Its Navtejasvini Gramin Livelihood development scheme will create 365 organisations to empower rural women.

Through this scheme, the government aims to get one lakh households out of poverty, and accelerate work on five lakh self-help groups and other initiatives related to women empowerment.

For this, the state will take a loan of ₹335 crore from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The state will spend ₹252 crore on a women safety initiative planned for three years on a pilot basis, to set up long-term measures for women’s safety and eliminate crimes against women.

The government also announced a new scheme to make widows, abandoned and divorcee women independent and self-sufficient. A provision of ₹200 crore made for the scheme in the first year.

Finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar also announced an increase in financial assistance given to widows under the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Anudan Yojana and Shrawan Bal Yojana, to ₹1,000 from ₹600. It also announced financial assistance of ₹1,100 to widows with one child, and ₹1,200 to widows with two children. This scheme is to cost the state ₹1,500 crore annually.

Focusing on employment schemes for women and youth from minority communities, the state will spend another ₹100 crore to create employment opportunities and skill development programmes. Additionally, it has reserved 30% of the industrial parks, planned to be created in 50 tehsils at a cost of ₹300 crore, for women entrepreneurs.

The government will also implement the Prajwala Yojaya with the help of Maharashtra Women Commission, to create awareness among women members of self-help groups regarding legal matters. Mungantiwar also announced Chulha-Free Maharashtra scheme to provide gas connections to households that are not covered under the Centre’s Ujjwala Yojana.