Uttarakhand Chief Minister Launches Empowerment Scheme for Single Women
In a significant move aimed at fostering economic independence, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the 'Chief Minister Single Women Self-Employment Scheme' on Tuesday. The initiative is designed to provide robust financial support and enhance the livelihoods of single women across the state.
Initial Phase Sees Substantial Disbursement
The scheme's launch phase has already made a tangible impact, with 484 women from six districts receiving direct benefit transfers totaling Rs 3.45 crore. The beneficiaries are distributed across Bageshwar (42), Dehradun (191), Nainital (75), Pauri (66), Tehri (23), and Udham Singh Nagar (87).
Officials from the Women Empowerment and Child Development Department (WECD) have announced that by the end of the month, an additional 540 single women from the remaining seven districts will be provided approximately Rs 4 crore. This expansion underscores the government's commitment to widespread implementation.
Comprehensive Financial Assistance Framework
Under this pioneering scheme, single women—including widows, divorced or abandoned women, those living alone for any reason, acid attack survivors, victims of criminal incidents, and transgender persons—are eligible for financial assistance of up to Rs 2 lakh.
WECD Secretary Chandresh Yadav detailed the subsidy structure, explaining that projects costing up to Rs 2 lakh are being approved with a subsidy of 75% or Rs 1.5 lakh, whichever is maximum. Beneficiaries are required to contribute the remaining 25% either from personal resources or through loans, ensuring a collaborative approach to funding.
Leadership Emphasizes Empowerment and Progress
Chief Minister Dhami highlighted the scheme's broader objectives, stating, "This initiative will provide economic empowerment, dignity, security, and self-reliance to women. Women's participation is essential for societal progress, and empowering them strengthens families and communities as a whole."
WECD Minister Rekha Arya echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that the scheme enables women to become self-reliant and generate employment opportunities for others, thereby fostering a ripple effect of economic growth.
Building on Existing Successes
Dhami also pointed to the state's existing achievements in women's entrepreneurship, noting that around five lakh women are currently running their own businesses through more than 70,000 self-help groups. He added, "Women across Uttarakhand, through over 7,000 village organizations and more than 500 cluster organizations, are demonstrating collective leadership, with nearly 1.7 lakh achieving Lakhpati Didi status."
This new scheme builds on these foundations, aiming to further integrate single women into the economic mainstream and enhance their contributions to the state's development.
