BMC Budget 2018-19: Training in skill development for 1,000 women
BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta greets Standing Committee Chairman Ramesh Koregaonkar after presenting the annual budget on Friday. (Ganesh Shirsekar) BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta greets Standing Committee Chairman Ramesh Koregaonkar after presenting the annual budget on Friday. (Ganesh Shirsekar)
Offering a slew of benefits to women entrepreneurs and the disabled, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s budget estimates propose projects for skill development and self employment assistance, including for procuring sewing machines and equipment for home-based flour mills.
Civic chief Ajoy Mehta introduced a new skill development training scheme for women, with an aim to train at least 1,000 women from 100 self help groups. Besides the training and machinery, the women would be provided loan from a financial institution and assistance for marketing.
“For sanitary pad making, women self help groups will be given institutional training. They will be provided with sanitary pad making machine. Also, easy loans will be available to them through financial institutions,” said Mehta.
Besides, such women entrepreneurs will be provided space in municipal premises for 11 months while assistance will be provided for marketing their products in civic run schools, maternity homes and hospitals.
For working women, a hostel is proposed to be constructed at Goregaon, and a provision of Rs 2 crore has been made. The hostel would be a ground-plus-15 storey structure and will accommodate 175 women.
Mehta also promised other schemes such as direct benefit transfer for women for purchasing sewing machines and flour mills. Last year, the total beneficiaries were 1,816 and 4,767 for flour mills and sewing machines respectively. The same scheme is proposed to be implemented in 2018-19.
For visually impaired and differently abled persons, the civic body has made a provision for 100 percent concession in bus fare for travelling in non-AC BEST buses, a scheme running since last year.
To provide assistance for self-employment of disabled women, the BMC decided to continue with a scheme to distribute equipment to grind wheat to them. Also, a scheme of providing scooters for differently abled persons has been continued with Rs 6 crore budgetary provision. The total beneficiaries for 2017-18 are 937 people.
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