loans amounting to Rs4.38 crore had been distributed under ‘Saksham Scheme’ of State Government’s Women and Child Development Department to 710 women in nearly four-and-a-half years.
The loans had been distributed to women to start their own venture, an official press release stated here on Thursday.
Under the scheme, widows, legally divorced and unmarried women of age-group 35-45 age group are provided loan of up to Rs1 lakh on nominal rate. The beneficiary, under the scheme is provided loan for a term of five years on the annual interest rate of 6 per cent, which they can return in easy installments as per the provisions of the scheme.
Officials of Women and Child Development Department informed that Saksham Scheme was initiated in year 2009-10 under Chhattisgarh Mahila Kosh.
They informed that the scheme has successfully empowered more than 700 women with the financial independence. In the year 2009-10, about 68 women were given loans of about Rs45.70 lakh under the scheme.
In the year 2010-11, 176 women were provided loans of total 1.10 crore. In year 2011-12, about 180 women were provided loans of total Rs1.65 crores. In year 2012-13, 237 women were provided loans of Rs1.36 crores and in year 2013-14, 49 women have been provided the loans of Rs48.60 lakh under the scheme as on December, 2013, the Press release stated.