To ensure easy loans for women in business, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot launched a women-only loan scheme ‘Mahila Nidhi’. The aim of the loan scheme is the social and economic development of women through credit.
Gehlot stated that in the budget 2022-23, the government had announced the ‘Mahila Nidhi’ scheme through Rajasthan Rural Livelihood Development Council.
The scheme was launched on Women’s Equality Day on August 26 to ensure availability of credit to women for business expansion and also for starting new businesses, aside from their everyday necessities.
After Telangana, Rajasthan has become the second state in the country to establish Mahila Nidhi scheme.
The scheme will disburse loans of up to Rs 40,000 within 48 hours, and above Rs 40,000 within 15 days, said Gehlot. He added that 2.70 lakh self-help groups have been formed in 33 districts of the state connecting 30 lakh families.
Mahila Nidhi has been introduced to assist women self-help groups get loans from banks and increase the income of poor and marginal women to ensure their social and economic progress through skill development, as per the report.
The scheme will benefit 36 lakh families across the state in a phased manner. It has been proposed to form 50,000 self-help groups, connecting six lakh families in 2022-23.