The ambitious project of State government for socio-economic empowerment of adolescent girls and young women of the State, Tejaswini Yojana was rolled out in all the 17 targeted districts on Wednesday.
The scheme was launched by women and child development and social security minister Lois Marandi who urged the concerned officials to work hard to make this scheme a success and said, “The programme has already been implemented in two districts Ramgarh and Dumka and is now being rolled out at other 15 districts as well. It covers the girls from the age of 14 to 24 years and help them become socially and financially empowered.”
She added, “If implemented properly, this scheme will change the State. The district social welfare officers should identify such areas where the malnutrition level is high and implement this project there so that in the next five years we are able to create a healthy, malnutrition free Jharkhand.”
A Rs 540 crore worth project funded by World Bank aims to benefit at least 10 lakh girls of the State by 2022. While World Bank is funding 70 percent of the entire amount, State government will bear the remaining 30 percent.
The scheme is being implemented in all except seven districts where government’s Sabala Yojana is already functional.
Department secretary Amitabh Kaushal said, “The programme will focus on four major issues of the State, child marriage, education of girl child, distress migration and malnutrition. The officers should closely monitor the outcome of the project so that we can do mid course correction if needed.”
He added, “Because the rollout of the programme has been delayed due to various reasons, we will have to do more work in less time.”
The project includes formation of around 12,000 Tejaswini clubs where the girls at village level will come together for group activities and skill training.
"The project provides three kind of skill training to the girls including life skill training, financial literacy and education," said director of the implementing body Jharkhand Women Development Society (JWDS), DK Saxena.
The life skill training includes informing girls about various issues like their rights and protection, development programmes and government schemes, health and nutrition and hygiene, which will help in overall physical and mental well being of the girls, thus ensuring better nutrition of the next generation as well.
In financial literacy, the girls will be informed about banking, loans and ways on how they can be financially independent through entrepreneurship.