माई भागो इंदिरा शक्ति योजना | भारत की समानता की दिशा में एक कदम

The Mai Bhago Istri Shakti Scheme, named after the legendary Sikh warrior Mai Bhago, who led 40 Sikh soldiers to victory against the Mughals in 1705, was introduced by the Government of Punjab in a daring move towards women's empowerment.

The goal of this government scheme for women is to empower them throughout the state by encouraging self-reliance via education, skill development, and financial support. With a ₹300 crore budget, the Punjab government scheme has benefited over 500,000 women as of 2023, demonstrating the state's commitment to promoting gender equality and women's economic independence.

The Mai Bhago Istri Shakti Scheme launched by the Government of Punjab focuses on empowering women from rural backgrounds economically while also helping them establish their business ventures, helping them be independent. Let’s understand this scheme for rural development in detail.

Read more: Ayushman Card

The Benefits Of The Mai Bhago Istri Shakti Scheme

The scheme offers several benefits for the rural women of Punjab, such as:

• Government loan schemes of up to Rs. 25,000 are sanctioned to the women through the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies, which is also at a feasible interest rate of 8-10% per annum. Which is substantially lesser than the normal interest rates, making it easier for the women to come up later on.

• The women also have the option to take up the loan either individually or in groups for the setting up of micro-industries like shops, repair services, or cottage industries.

• Proper training is provided as part of this scheme to women on trades like tailoring, embroidery, management of livestock, food processing, and so on.

• Added support is provided to the women’s businesses by the scheme as they help conduct exhibitions, melas, etc. to help women sell their products more easily.

Read more: Aadhaar Card

Eligibility Criteria For The Mai Bhago Istri Shakti Scheme

To be eligible to be a part of the Punjab government scheme, applicants must be:

• A female resident of the state of Punjab, also belonging to a rural background.

• Have an Aadhaar Card and bank account.

• Submit necessary documentation, such as:

• Aadhar card
• Address proof
• Income proof
• Educational certificates
• Bank account details
• Residence proof
• Birth certificate, and
• Passport-sized photographs

Read more: EWS Certificate

Conclusion

The Mai Bhago Istri Shakti Scheme is a brave initiative by the Punjab Government that lends a helping hand to rural women, supporting them financially while also giving them much-needed technical support to help empower rural women by allowing them to be self-employed entrepreneurs and business owners.

Learn in detail about the scheme here or mail rcspunjab@gmail.com for any queries.

You can also reach out to Jaagruk Bharat through their community page with any questions that you might come across.