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CHAPTER XIV

ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMMES FOR WOMEN

14.1 ROLE OF THE MINISTRy

14.1.1 The role of the M/o MSME is primarily to assist the States/Union Territories in their efforts to promote growth and development of MSMEs. The main focus of the schemes/programmes undertaken by the Organisations of the Ministry is thus to provide/facilitate a wide range of services and programmes required for accelerating the development of MSMEs. Nevertheless, there are a few schemes/programmes which are individual/ beneficiary oriented. While, there are several schemes, wherein women are provided extra benefits/concessions/ assistance, M/o MSME is implementing two specific schemes for women i.e. the scheme of TREAD and Mahila Coir Yojana. The details of concession for women may be seen in the respective scheme guidelines as available on ministry’s website www.msme.gov.in. The detail of TREAD and Mahila Coir Yojana is explained in the following paragraphs.

14.2 TRAINING OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

14.2.1The policies of the Government announced from time to time have laid considerable emphasis on promotion of women entrepreneurship particularly among first generation women through various training and support services. Special attention is given by organising exclusive Entrepreneurship Development Programmes (EDPs) for women.

14.2.2 NI-MSME, HYDERABAD: A 4-day workshop on ‘Women Empowerment through Rural Enterprises and SHG Livelihood by Marketing Strategies at Port Blair was conducted during 27-30 July, 2009. This was sponsored by the Department of Industries, Government of Andaman & Nicobar. The workshop was attended by 150 members of the local SHGs and NGOs. During the year 2009-10 (up to December 2009) institute has provided training to 1296 women.

14.2.3 NIESBUD, NOIDA: In accordance with the policy directions/guidelines of the Government of India for accelerating the spread of entrepreneurial culture among Women, the Institute continued with its activities having focus on this target group and encouraged women candidates for participation in its different activities like Workshops, Entrepreneurship-cum-Skill Development Programmes etc. In this manner, the Institute provided training to 1444 women participants through its 126 Skill-cum-Entrepreneurship Development Programmes. Besides, a total of 2370 women participants attended the 101 Motivational/Orientation Campaigns and Workshops as organized by the Institute during the period. During the year 2009-10 (up to December 2009) institute has provided training to 3946 women.

14.2.4 IIE, GUWAHATi: During the year 2009-10 (up to December 2009) institute has

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provided training to 2575 women. These included women from rural areas and the training programmes covered all kind of entrepreneurial development programmes.

14.3 TRADE RELATED ENTREPRENEUR-SHIP ASSISTANCE AND DEVELOPMENT (TREAD)SCHEMEFORWOMEN

The scheme envisages economic empower-ment of women through the development of their entrepreneurial skills in non-farm activities. There are three major components of the scheme. The Government’s grant up to 30% of the total project cost is provided to the Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) for promoting entrepreneurship among women. The remaining 70% of the project cost is financed by the lending agency as loan for undertaking activities as envisaged in the project. Further, the Government’s grant up to Rs.1 lakh per programme is provided to training institutions / NGOs for imparting training to the women entrepreneurs. Besides, need-based grants up to Rs. 5 lakh may also be provided to national level EDIs and other reputed institutions, for undertaking field surveys, research studies, evaluation studies, designing of training modules etc. During the year 2008-09, the grant of Rs. 66.05 lakh was utilised benefiting 3418 women entrepreneurs. In the year 2009-10, Rs.76.5 lakhs were released to ten NGOs till December, 2009.

14.4 ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMMES FOR WOMEN IN ARI SECTOR

14.4.1 While implementing various schemes of this Ministry efforts are made to ensure

adequate participation of women in them. In addition, the Coir Board is implementing the Mahila Coir Yojana which is a women oriented self-employment programme. Under this programme women are provided training and ratts for carrying out spinning activity and increasing their earnings. The details of the benefits available to women entrepreneurs under these programmes and also their participation in terms of numbers and subsidy provided are mentioned in the following paragraphs.

14.5 PRIME MINISTER’S EMPLOyMENT GENERATION PROGRAMME AND WOMEN

14.5.1 Relaxation is provided to women beneficiaries under Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) launched in 2008-09, such as:

(i) For urban women beneficiaries, margin money subsidy is provided at the rate of 25 per cent (for general category, it is 15 per cent) of the project cost while it is 35 per cent for women in rural areas (25 per cent for general category).

(ii) In case of women entrepreneurs, beneficiary’s contribution is 5 per cent of the project cost while in the case of beneficiaries belonging to general category; it is 10 per cent of the project cost.

(iii) Bank finance in the form of loan is 95 per cent of the project cost in case of women and other weaker section borrowers and 90 per cent of the project cost in case of those belonging to general category.

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14.6 MAHILACOIRYOJANA

14.6.1 It is the first women oriented self employment scheme launched in the coir industry in November 1994 which provides self employment opportunities to the rural women artisans in regions producing coir fibre. The Scheme envisages distribution of motorized ratts for spinning coir yarn to women artisans after giving training. One artisan per household is eligible to receive assistance under the

scheme. Women spinners are trained for two months in spinning coir yarn on motorized ratt at the Coir Board’s Training Centres. A stipend of Rs.500/- was earlier paid to the trainees which has been raised to Rs. 750/- per month from 2009-10. Coir Board provides motorized ratts/motorized traditional ratts at 75% cost subsidy subject to a maximum ceiling of Rs. 7,500/- for motorized ratts and Rs. 3200/- for motorized traditional ratts. The remaining 25% has to be raised by the beneficiary.

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Inculcating entrepreneurial culture among the Women