Lakhpati Didi... Lakhpati Baido...

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT...

Debashish Sengupta 

(debashishsen.ds@gmail.com)

Ministry of Rural Panchayat Government of India launched ambitious scheme of making lakhpati didi, statistically in 34 states, 742 districts, 91 lakh self-help groups with 10 crore members targeting 1.83 crore potential lakhpati didis.

Now who is a lakhpati didi?

A self-help group member whose annual income is more than Rs. 1 lakh with an average monthly income of Rs. 1,0000 or more which is sustained for at least four agricultural seasons and  business cycles. A recent SBI report states since 2019 there has been steady increase in the incomes of women SHG members in urban areas were followed by their counter parts in metropolitan, semi-urban and rural areas. The SBI report also says that women participation in total work force in 2019 was only 19.7% which has now more than 30%.

Here, I can add some interesting news which come from different parts of the country. From Chhattisgarh one Pinky Jhara earns from a small enterprise more than her husband and has brought him a bike. In Jammu Reva’s FPO (former producer organization) also employs her husband Kuldeep, till a few years ago he worked as a driver. In Uttarakhand one Saraswati Devi diversified family business from “bhatti” of blacksmiths which is very labour intensive to kitchen gear farm implements.

In Assam there is vast opportunity for women entrepreneur. Especially at following areas Food processing, livestock and poultry, handloom and handicrafts, tailoring and readymade garments, spice production packaging, herbal cosmetics, dry fish etc.

In Assam also we can mention the name of Kabita Borah a successful rural women handloom artisan and entrepreneur, Malati Rabha of Boko, weaver, Rekhamoni Hazarika of Lakhipur who started a small Tea Garden, again Sewali Kaibatra of Sikarhati after getting skill training now making mekhla Chadar, gamosa, borkapur etc. Now, our women force also empowering themselves.

Under the initiative of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Government of Assam, launched “the Lakhpati Baideo” scheme to empower 40 lakh self-help group (SHG) members for running micro enterprises.

This scheme offers Rs. 35,000 financial assistance to 40 lakh women for achieving the target annual income of Rs 1 lakh per year.

The scheme is to help our women entrepreneur under Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyamita Abhijan every SHG members will get Rs 10,000 in first year and Rs 12,500 from the Government  and another Rs 12,500 from bank as loan over next two years. All the money is to be utilized for running a business unit and accordingly project paper is to be submitted. The beneficiary of general and OBC category shall not have more than three children and in SC and ST categories shall not have more than four children. As per the scheme SHG member must enroll their girlchild in school and the trees planted under the Amrit Brikshya Andolan by the beneficiaries must be surviving.

For implementing Lakhpati didi scheme Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Bengal are front runner but our home state Assam performs well and running faster.

PM Narendra Modi in his Independence day speech last year said. Government wanted to empower two crore women as “lakhpati didis”. In the Interim Budget this February Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman mentioned an enhanced target of 3 crore under a three-year timeline for the scheme, which is being executed under the Deendayal Antyodaya yojana of the National Rural Livelihood Mission.

Here, I want to mention women professionals as a Doctor, Engineer, Lawyers, Science and Technologist to space research to startup are doing very well and I want to specially mention the case of women CA now have 30% share making a massive jump from just 8% in 2000 and also in the student base of 8.63 lakhs in Chartered Accountancy Course 43% are females.

Here I want to mention the contribution of Savitribai Phule, the first woman rights activist of India for women empowerment and education hundred years ago.

In 1950 when the constitution was adopted, article 14 ensures the right to equality for women, articles 15(1) prohibits gender discrimination, article 15(3) empowers the state to take affirmative steps in favour of women. Roughly half of the Indian voters are now women, But when it Comes to parliament and state assemblies women still have less than 15% of seats. Countries with higher human development index ranking tend to have higher women’s representation, New Zealand for instance has more than 50% women MP. In Case of UK. Germany Spain, France also has more than 30%. Women Legislators each in the Lower house. Now Narendra Modi revolutionized the whole situation by bringing the women reservation bill delivering justice after decades of discrimination. Here I must mention that the ruling party for nominating women Candidates for consecutive terms for Guwahati Parliamentary Constituency.

 Most recently it has come to light that a draft paper to be discussed during a meeting called by the Cabinet Secretary this month proposes to raise women participation in the workforce of the country from 37% to 50% higher than the current global average of 47%.

 Lastly, I must mention the commitment of the present Central Government led by Narendra Modi towards women uplift and empowerment is wholehearted and result oriented, be it, 33% women reservation bill to “Namo Drone Didi” among others.