Budget 2024 announcements for women: 'Lakhpati Didi' target enhanced to 3 crore

NEW DELHI: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday announced in the interim Budget the expansion of the 'Lakhpati Didi' scheme for self-help group workers who earn sustainable income of at least one lakh rupees a year. The Finance Minister told Parliament in her budget speech that target for the 'Lakhpati Didi' scheme, which was initially set at 2 crore women, has been enhanced to 3 crore women.

Empowerment of women through entrepreneurship, ease of living, and dignity for them has gained momentum in the last 10 years, she stated. She emphasised that 83 lakh Self-Help-Groups with nine crore women are transforming the rural socio-economic landscape with empowerment and self-reliance.

"Their success has assisted nearly one crore women to become Lakhpati Didis already. They are an inspiration to others. Their achievements will be recognised by honouring them. Buoyed by the success, it has been decided to enhance the target for Lakhpati Didi from 2 crore to 3 crore," FM Sitharaman said.

Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 77th Independence Day last year Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that his government is working with Women's Self-Help Groups (SHGs) with the aim of creating two crore 'Lakhpati Didis' in villages. The PM in his speech had said,

"Today 10 crore Rural Women are part of the Self-Help Groups. When you go to a village, youwill find 'bank-wali didi', 'Anganwadi didi' and 'dawai-wali (medicine) didi'. It is my dream to make two crore lakhpati didis in the villages".

Prime Minister Modi also announced an initiative that seeks to equip 15,000 Women's Self Help Groups with the necessary training and resources to operate and repair drones. This initiative, aptly named "Drone ki Udaan," will empower women to take to the skies, using drone technology to further enhance agricultural practices and rural development, the PM said.

To give impetus to economic empowerment of women, the Lakhpati Didi initiative has been initiated by the flagship Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission, under the Ministry of Rural Development in which each SHG household is encouraged to take up multiple livelihood activities coupled with value chain interventions, resulting in a sustainable income of Rs one lakh or more per year. Meanwhile, other budget announcements in

Finance Minister Sitharaman's speech included extending healthcare insurance cover under Ayushman Bharat scheme to all anganwadi and ASHA workers as well as encouraging vaccination for girls in age group of 9 to 14 years for prevention of cervical cancer. She said that various schemes for maternal and child care will be brought under one comprehensive programme for synergy in implementation.

"Upgradation of anganwadi centres under "Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0" will be expedited for improved nutrition delivery, early childhood care and development," Sitharaman said. The Finance Minister emphasised that 30 crore Mudra Yojana loans have been given to women entrepreneurs over the past 10 years.

"Female enrolment in higher education has gone up by 28 per cent in ten years. In STEM courses, girls and women constitute 43 per cent of enrolment--one of the highest in the world. All these measures are getting reflected in the increasing participation of women in workforce," she said.

In her Budget speech, Sitharaman said that that making 'Triple Talaq' illegal and reservation of one-third seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State legislative assemblies and giving over seventy per cent houses under PM Awas Yojana in rural areas to women as sole or joint owners have strengthened their dignity.

The Finance Minister stated that PM Narendra Modi government will adopt economic policies that foster and sustain growth, facilitate inclusive and sustainable development, improve productivity, create opportunities for all, help them enhance their capabilities, and contribute to generation of resources to power investments and fulfil aspirations.

She said that the newly designed U-WIN platform for managing immunization and intensified efforts of Mission Indradhanush will be rolled out expeditiously throughout the country