|
The Ministry of Small Scale Industries has launched a scheme "Trade Related Entrepreneurship Assistance and Development" (TREAD) for economic empowerment of women which envisages extension of loan facility to NGOs for on lending to women. The loans would be extended either through self-help groups (SHG) or individually for setting up of small and micro enterprises in non-farm sector. The Ministry under this scheme, would provide a grant up to 30% of the total project cost to NGOs for their capacity building and assistance to women in meeting their goals. NGOs can utilize the grant for training, counseling, tie-ups for marketing on behalf of the beneficiaries etc. besides their own capacity building for assisting women.
The scheme will also include selected training institutions conducting training programmes for empowerment of women beneficiaries identified under the scheme which will be provided a grant up to a maximum of Rs. 1.00 lakh per programme provided such institutions also bring their share to the extent of 25% of the grant.
Institutions such as Entrepreneurship Development Institutes and any other institution of repute can also be provided need based Government grant primarily for undertaking activities aiming at empowerment of women such as field surveys, research studies, evaluation studies, designing of training modules, etc. The grant shall be limited up to Rs.5 lakh per project.
In order to implement the scheme successfully, Ministry of Small Scale Industries has signed a Memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Canara Bank recently for mutual cooperation to promote empowerment of women through setting up of Micro Enterprises.
The Punjab National Bank has also shown interest in implementing the scheme and is likely to sign an MOU with the Government of India.
HB/AKS/ls
|
