Rajasthan 'Mahila Nidhi' | 27 Aug 2022

Why In News?

• On August 26, 2022, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot established the first 'Mahila Nidhi' (Rajasthan Mahila Nidhi Cooperative Credit Federation) for the social and economic advancement of women in the state level Women's Equality Day celebration organized at Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Center (JECC), Sitapura. ) was launched.

Key Points

• This fund will provide easy loans to women for business growth and entrepreneurship in addition to daily needs.
• On this occasion, the Chief Minister provided an amount of Rs. 1 crore 42 lakh as loan from Rajasthan Mahila Nidhi to the members of 386 self-help groups of 6 districts. He also awarded 8 women of Rajivika Community cadre for their distinguished work at the community level.
• The Chief Minister said that in the budget 2022-23, it was announced to set up the Women Fund through the Rajasthan Rural Livelihood Development Council. Rajasthan is the second state in the country after Telangana where women's fund has been established.
• Mahila Nidhi has been established to strengthen the women self-help groups, get loans from banks, increase the income of poor, propertyless and marginal women and social and economic progress of women by skill development.
• Under this scheme, loans up to Rs 40,000 will be deposited in 48 hours and loans above Rs 40,000 will be deposited in the bank account of the group of members applied within a time limit of 15 days.
• At present, 2 lakh 70 thousand self-help groups have been formed in 33 districts of the state, in which 30 lakh families are connected. In the financial year 2022-23, 50 thousand self-help groups are proposed to be formed, in which about 6 lakh families will be connected. A total of 36 lakh families in the state will get benefits from Rajasthan Mahila Nidhi in a phased manner based on their needs.
• In the program, an MoU was signed with Amazon for online sale of products. This will list products made by over 15,000 women entrepreneurs and self-help groups on the online marketplace and made available to millions of Amazon customers across the country.
• Through this, work will be done to empower the artisans and weaver community and encourage them to digital inclusion by making them Amazon sellers. Chief Minister's Work from Home Job Work Scheme and portal were also launched on the occasion.
• On this occasion, the scope of 'Indira Gandhi Matritva Poshan Yojna', which was earlier implemented in 5 districts of TSP area, was extended to all the districts. Under this scheme, a total of Rs 6000 is given in 5 installments on the birth of the second child. Now the benefit of this scheme will be available to the women of entire 33 districts from April 1, 2022.
• Apart from this, the second phase of 'UDAN Yojana' was also launched in the program, in which a provision of Rs 600 crore has been made for 1 crore 45 lakh adolescent girls and women. It is noteworthy that 29 lakh adolescent girls and women have been benefited from the first phase of this scheme.