(a) whether the Government proposes to launch a new scheme to provide interest free loan to women Self Help Groups (SHGs) in rural areas;
(b) if so, the details along with terms and conditions thereof;
(c) the time by which it is likely to be launched;
(d) the number of women likely to be benefited in this regard; and
(e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to generate employment in rural areas of the country?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI RAM KRIPAL YADAV)
(a) to (c): It has been decided to launch a new sub-scheme under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) which will be named as “Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY)”. The main objectives of AGEY are (i) to provide an alternative source of livelihoods to members of Self Help Groups (SHGs) under DAY-NRLM by facilitating them to operate public transport services in backward rural areas and (ii) to provide safe, affordable and community monitored rural transport services (e-rickshaws, 3 and 4 wheeler motorised transport vehicles) to connect remote villages with key services and amenities (including access to markets, education and health) for the overall economic development of the area by making use of the supports available within the framework of DAY-NRLM. The sub-scheme will be implemented in 250 blocks in the country on a pilot basis for a period of 3 years from 2017-18 to 2019-20. The States have been informed about the number of blocks allocated to them to take up this sub-scheme in the pilot phases. One of the options proposed to be given under the sub-scheme is that the Community Based Organisation (CBO) will provide interest free loan from its own corpus to Self Help Group member for purchase of the vehicle. The detailed guidelines of the scheme are under finalization, after which the scheme will be launched.
(d): The details regarding number of women likely to be benefitted has not been quantified.
(e): The Government is implementing DAY-NRLM across the country in all States and Union Territories (except Delhi and Chandigarh). Under DAY-NRLM, till date, 34.4 lakh women SHGs have been promoted under the programme. The financial support under the programme is mainly in the form of Revolving Fund and Community Investment Funds, given as grants to the Self Help Groups (SHGs) and their federations. These remain as resource in perpetuity with the community based institutions for internal lending to members for their consumption requirements and livelihoods investments. So far, the total amount released to SHGs is Rs. 1815 crore to about 3.96 lakh SHGs. A sum of Rs. 1088 crore has also been disbursed to 7.28 lakh SHGs as revolving Fund. DAY-NRLM also focuses on bank linkage of the institutions to enable their income The cumulative Bank Credit mobilized for women SHGs and their federations since inception is to the tune of Rs 1.19 lakh crores.
The programme has a special focus on women empowerment including a dedicated component for promoting farm and non-farm based livelihoods for women farmers in rural areas. About 34 lakh women farmers have benefited under this programme. In addition, start up enterprises at village levels are also supported to promote entrepreneurial activities in those areas. Projects have been sanctioned for setting up 79,814 enterprises in 5209 villages in 17 states in the country.
Deendayal Upadhayaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) is a placement linked skill development programme for the rural poor youth. Training under this scheme enables a youth to seek wage employment. During the financial year 2016-17, a total of 1,62,586 candidates have been skilled and 84,900 placed. Another component is skill development through Rural Self Employment and Training Institutes (RSETI) which enables a trainee to seek self employment with bank credit. A total of 4,45,106 candidates have been trained and 3,63,111 settled in the financial year 2016-17.
In addition, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employee Act (MGNREGA) is implemented by the Department of Rural Development. MGNREGA aims at enhancing livelihood security of households in rural areas of the country by providing atleast one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. The scheme supplements the income of a rural household and it is not intended to be the sole means of earning livelihood for the rural households.
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