Dibrugarh: Under the ambitious Chief Minister’s Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan launched by the State Government for the economic empowerment of the state’s women, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday distributed seed capital cheques of Rs 10,000 each to 21,198 enterprising women of the Chabua-Lahowal Assembly Constituency in Dibrugarh district and 22,069 women of the Makum Assembly Constituency in Tinsukia district.
Of the beneficiaries in Chabua-Lahowal constituency, 20,575 are from rural areas and 623 are from urban areas. Among the beneficiaries of Makum constituency, 20,900 are from rural areas and 1,169 are from urban areas.
Addressing two separate public meetings organised on this occasion at the Dinjoy Tea Garden playground in Chabua and the Janamukh playground in Tinsukia, Chief Minister Sarma stated that under the ambitious scheme undertaken by the State Government with the goal of making the women of the state financially self-reliant, 15 lakh enterprising women from 55 Assembly Constituencies of the state have so far received the first installment cheque of Rs 10,000, and the remaining beneficiaries will receive their cheques very soon.
He mentioned that the women who have received this fund have engaged themselves in some productive work or the other and have utilised the fund properly.
The chief minister expressed hope that the women of Chabua-Lahowal and Makum constituencies would also utilise this fund fully. Stating that the Rs 10,000 cheque distributed today is just the beginning of this scheme, he said that the scheme will continue until every member woman becomes a Lakhpati Baideo.
He noted that over eight lakh women in Assam have already attained the status of Lakhpati Baideo by taking loans from banks or Self-Help Groups (SHGs), engaging themselves in various productive activities, and achieving success. He informed that some of these women have even become Maha Lakhpati Baideo by earning more than Rs 10 lakh annually.
Citing an example of such a successful woman entrepreneur from Chabua-Lahowal constituency, he said that Anita Sahu, a member of the Mala SHG of Dikom Bazar under Chabua Development Block, has been able to support her family financially with her own income by stepping onto the path of entrepreneurship through a beauty parlour and cosmetics business.
By expanding her business with the collective investment fund of Rs 5,000 and a bank linkage loan of Rs 1.80 lakh from her SHG, Anita Sahu is now able to earn around Rs. 25,000 per month, which is nearly Rs 3 lakh annually.