Question : Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women

(a) the salient features of Support to Training and Employment Programme (STEP) to provide skills and knowledge to women;
(b) the details of project proposals submitted by eligible institutions/ organisations including Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) under the said programme indicating the projects sanctioned and funds allocated, released and utillised along with the number of beneficiaries thereunder during each of the last three years and the current year, State/ UT-wise;
(c) whether the Government has taken note that a large number of fake NGOs have applied under the programme and if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether any mechanism is in place to identify the fake NGOs and if so, the details thereof along with the action taken against them; and
(e) the further measures taken for effective implementation and to expand the reach of the programme?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI KRISHNA RAJ)

(a) The Ministry has been administering ‘Support to Training and Employment Programme (STEP) for Women’ since 1986-87 as a ‘Central Sector Scheme’. The STEP Scheme aims to provide skills that give employability to women and to provide competencies and skill that enable women to become self-employed/entrepreneurs. The Scheme is intended to benefit women who are in the age group of 16 years and above across the country.

(b) Proposals under the scheme are submitted by eligible institutions/ organizations including NGOs, and as per qualification/eligibility according to guidelines, approval/selection of projects are done. State/ UT-wise details of projects sanctioned & funds allocated to various organizations during the last 3 years and current year is at Annexure-I & Annexure II respectively. Number of beneficiaries State/UT-wise covered under the Scheme during the last three years and current year is at Annexure-III.

(c): Sanctioning of projects and the supervision of the progress of projects is done through a very rigorous process so as to eliminate any NGO that doesn’t meet the prescribed norms.

(d): Under the guidelines of STEP Scheme 2016, mechanism is in place to identify/check fake NGOs which is as under:

(i) NGOs have to sign up in the NGO-Darpan Portal of NITI Aayog and mandatorily quote the unique ID at the time of application.

(ii) A recommendation from the State Government is necessary which inter alia include confirming the physical presence of the NGO before sanctioning of funds of the applied project.

(e): The guidelines of the scheme are revised regularly to expand the reach of the programme and strengthen the scheme. The guidelines were last revised in August, 2016.

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Annexure I

Statement referred to in reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Q.No. 4339 to be answered on 11.08.2017 regarding STEP Scheme

State/ UT-wise number of projects sanctioned to the Organizations/NGOs during the last three years and current year (upto 04.08.2017)
S. No. STATES Number of projects sanctioned
2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
1 Andhra Pradesh - 2 - -
2 Arunachal Pradesh - - - -
3 Assam 2 1 - -
4 Bihar - 9 - -
5 Chhattisgarh - 4 - -
6 Haryana - 3 - -
7 Jammu & Kashmir - 2 - -
8 Jharkhand - 3 - -
9 Kerala - 2 - -
10 Karnataka 1 4 - -
11 Madhya Pradesh 2 5 - -
12 Maharashtra - 5 - -
13 Manipur 12 - - -
14 Mizoram 1 - - -
15 Nagaland 1 - - -
16 Orissa - 4 - -
17 Rajasthan 3 4 - -
18 Tamil Nadu - 3 - -
19 Uttarakhand - 6 - -
20 Uttar Pradesh 1 33 - -
21 Delhi - 5 - -
Total* 23 95 - -


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Annexure II

Statement referred to in reply Lok Sabha Unstarred Q.No. 4339 to be answered on 11.08.2017 regarding STEP Scheme

State/UT-wise release of fund to the Organizations/NGOs during the last three years and current year upto 04.08.2017 under STEP Scheme.

S. No. STATES Funds released (Rs. in Lakhs)
2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
1 Andhra Pradesh - 42.45 123.64 -
2 Arunachal Pradesh - 12.68 - -
3 Assam 73.02 5.24 43.95 -
4 Bihar - 80.61 26.12 -
5 Chhattisgarh - 39.47 21.67 7.36
6 Gujarat - - - -
7 Himachal Pradesh - - - -
8 Haryana - 26.76 11.38 -
9 Jammu & Kashmir 42.30 17.54 5.42 -
10 Jharkhand - 29.96 7.80 -
11 Kerala - 20.43 - -
12 Karnataka 89.78 33.04 144.36 -
13 Madhya Pradesh 107.74 106.67 172.98 12.50
14 Maharashtra 10.22 59.43 36.30 9.02
15 Manipur 220.33 101.24 95.17 15.57
16 Meghalaya - - - -
17 Mizoram 10.56 - - -
18 Nagaland 47.67 - - -
19 Orissa - 52.57 17.46 -
20 Punjab 74.03 27.94 - -
21 Rajasthan 17.10 22.09 4.42 -
22 Sikkim - - - -
23 Tamil Nadu - 37.09 - -
24 Tripura - - - -
25 Uttaranchal 18.86 51.92 4.88 5.80
26 Uttar Pradesh 20.54 328.77 156.31 1.09
27 West Bengal - 8.02 - -
28 Delhi - 65.23 13.94 -
29 For evaluation
study 8.07 4.60 - -
Total 740.22 1173.75 885.87 51.36
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Annexure III

Statement referred to in reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Q.No. 4339 to be answered on 11.08.2017 regarding STEP Scheme

State/UT-wise beneficiaries covered during the last three years and current year upto 04.08.2017 under STEP Scheme .
S. No. STATES Beneficiaries covered
2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
1 Andhra Pradesh 800 2000 2191 -
2 Arunachal Pradesh - 450 - -
3 Assam 50 675 1600 -
4 Bihar - - 400 -
5 Chhattisgarh - - 400 200
6 Gujarat - - - -
7 Himachal Pradesh - - - -
8 Haryana - - 200 -
9 Jammu & Kashmir 5500 - 200 -
10 Jharkhand - - 200 -
11 Kerala 770 350 - -
12 Karnataka 6666 6298 4434 -
13 Madhya Pradesh 520 975 2014 200
14 Maharashtra 3609 125 350 180
15 Manipur 1505 2925 2250 150
16 Meghalaya - - - -
17 Mizoram - 150 - -
18 Nagaland 563 200 - -
19 Orissa 250 - 300 -
20 Punjab 5000 - - -
21 Rajasthan 250 - 200 -
22 Sikkim - - - -
23 Tamil Nadu - - - -
24 Tripura - - - -
25 Uttaranchal 3180 - 500 50
26 Uttar Pradesh 1810 985 2850 80
27 West Bengal 480 - - -
28 Delhi - - 150 -
Total 30953 15133 18239 860
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