Nilanjan
Odisha, a state in eastern India, has taken a significant step towards empowering women and enhancing their mobility. The state cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, has approved the Mission Shakti Scooter Yojana, a scheme that will provide interest subvention on bank loans up to INR 1,00,000 to beneficiaries, enabling them to purchase a scooter.
What is Mission Shakti Scooter Yojana?
Mission Shakti Scooter Yojana is a scheme that aims to provide crucial mobility support to Community Support Staff (CSS) and Executive Committee (EC) members of SHG federations. These are the women who work at the grassroots level to facilitate the functioning of Self Help Groups (SHGs) and their federations under the Mission Shakti program.
SHGs are groups of 10-20 women who come together to save money, access credit, and engage in income-generating activities. SHG federations are larger associations of SHGs at the village, block, and district levels. They provide various services to SHGs such as training, capacity building, marketing, auditing, etc.
CSS and EC members play a vital role in mobilizing, motivating, and mentoring SHG members and federations. They also act as a link between the SHGs and the government departments and agencies. They are responsible for monitoring the progress of SHGs and federations, resolving issues and conflicts, ensuring compliance with norms and standards, and facilitating convergence with various schemes and programs.
However, CSS and EC members often face challenges in reaching out to SHGs and federations due to lack of adequate transportation facilities. They have to travel long distances on foot or by public transport, which is time-consuming, costly, and inconvenient. This affects their efficiency and effectiveness in performing their duties.
To address this issue, the Mission Shakti Scooter Yojana will provide interest subvention on bank loans up to INR 1,00,000 to eligible CSS and EC members for purchasing a scooter. The interest subvention will be 100% for the first year, 75% for the second year, 50% for the third year, and 25% for the fourth year. The beneficiaries will have to repay the principal amount in 48 equal monthly installments.
The scheme will cover around 75,000 CSS members and 1,25,000 EC members across the state over the next five years. The state government has allocated a budgetary provision of INR 528.55 crore for the implementation of the scheme.
How will Mission Shakti Scooter Yojana benefit women?
Mission Shakti Scooter Yojana will have multiple benefits for women in Odisha. Some of them are:
- It will enhance the mobility of CSS and EC members, enabling them to reach out to more SHGs and federations in less time and with less hassle.
- It will improve the quality of service delivery by CSS and EC members, resulting in better performance and outcomes of SHGs and federations.
- It will increase the confidence and self-esteem of CSS and EC members, empowering them to take up leadership roles and participate in decision-making processes.
- It will create a positive impact on the socio-economic status of CSS and EC members and their families, as they will be able to save money on transportation costs and generate additional income from using the scooter for other purposes.
- It will inspire other women in the community to join SHGs and federations or start their own enterprises, creating a ripple effect of empowerment.
What is Mission Shakti?
Mission Shakti is a flagship program of the Odisha government that aims to empower women through the SHG approach. Launched in 2001 by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on International Women’s Day (March 8), Mission Shakti has grown to become one of the largest women’s empowerment programs in the country.
Mission Shakti recognizes the potential of women as agents of change and development. It provides them with opportunities to access financial services, livelihoods, social security, education, health care, nutrition, sanitation, gender equality, legal rights, etc. through SHGs and federations.
Mission Shakti has also enabled women to participate in local governance and democratic processes through representation in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). It has also facilitated convergence with various government schemes and programs such as MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), PMAY-G (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin), PMMSY (Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana), etc.
As of March 2021, Mission Shakti has mobilized more than 70 lakh women into 6.3 lakh SHGs and 48,000 federations. It has also linked them with more than INR 30,000 crore of bank credit and more than INR 5,000 crore of government subsidies and grants. It has also created more than 10 lakh livelihoods for women in various sectors such as agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries, handicrafts, handlooms, food processing, etc.
Mission Shakti has received several awards and recognitions at the national and international levels for its achievements and innovations. Some of them are:
- SKOCH Award for Best State in Women Empowerment in 2019
- UNDP Equator Prize for Women’s Federation in Kalahandi District in 2017
- NITI Aayog Award for Best Performing State in SHG Bank Linkage in 2016
- World Bank Award for Best Practice in SHG Movement in 2015
Mission Shakti Scooter Yojana is another milestone in the journey of Mission Shakti towards empowering women in Odisha. It is a testament to the vision and commitment of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to make Odisha a model state for women’s empowerment and development.
