Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday launched the Mission Shakti Scooter Scheme to further empower women.
Launching the scheme Patnaik said under the scheme the government will provide interest-free loan up to Rs 1 lakh to Mission Shakti members to buy scooters. The government, he said will pay Rs 528 crore towards the interest of the loan availed by the Women Self Help Group members.
Under the scheme, more than two lakh members of Women Self Help Groups will be benefitted. On the inaugural day of the scheme keys of scooters were handed over to 15,000 members of the Women Self Help Groups.
The Chief Minister said the scooter scheme will facilitate the movement of women and will bring new opportunities in the professional front for the women. The women, Patnaik said are performing a very good job and hoped that they would perform better from now onwards.
Patnaik said with 70 lakh women, the Mission Shakti will be further strengthened and the stride of women will give a new pace to the progress of the state. The Chief Minister said Odisha is the only state in the country to give government work orders to women.
On this occasion, Patnaik announced to provide vehicles facilities to block and district-level Mission Shakti federation for their official work. The Chief Minister said the aim of the government is to make members of the SHG as entrepreneurs for which the government is transferring Rs 150 crore interest assistance to their bank accounts directly for this purpose.
UNI