Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on January 11 that the state government will distribute ration cards to 42.85 lakh new beneficiaries, starting from January 16. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, he mentioned that the total number of ration cards would reach 66 lakh after adding the new cards to the existing 56 lakh households. The Chief Minister and cabinet ministers will personally distribute the new ration cards to beneficiaries, emphasizing the inclusion of every cardholder in the Orunodoi scheme and insurance scheme.
Additionally, a new scheme, ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan,’ was introduced to support rural women entrepreneurs financially. Under this initiative, 7 lakh women in self-help groups saw their annual income rise to Rs 1 lakh. In the first year, the government will provide an initial amount of Rs 10,000, followed by Rs 12,500 in the second year, with an additional Rs 12,500 provided as a bank loan. Beneficiaries are required to repay the bank loan. The scheme includes criteria such as limiting the number of children for women beneficiaries in general and OBC categories to three, while those from specific communities should have a maximum of four children. Himanta Biswa Sarma urged parents with school-going girl children to ensure their school admission.
Highlighting the extensive participation of women in Self Help Groups, he revealed that there are 39 lakh women in rural areas and 3 lakh in urban areas in Assam. The state cabinet has already approved the scheme’s launch, aiming to empower women in rural communities through financial support and entrepreneurship opportunities.
