Nagaon (Assam) [India], December 1 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday launched the distribution of entrepreneurship seed capital cheques to 33,625 women beneficiaries of Barhampur Legislative Assembly Constituency in Nagaon district under the Mukhyamantrir Mahila Udyomita Abhiyan (MMUA).
Of the total beneficiaries, 32,615 belong to rural areas and 1,010 to urban areas.
Speaking at a programme held at Kathiatoli, the Chief Minister said women across the State have already become acquainted with the Mission's objectives since its rollout in September last year.
He informed that women in about 44 constituencies have so far received the first installment of assistance, adding that nearly 10 lakh women have already benefited. The Government plans to distribute first-installment cheques to around 15 lakh women by the end of this month and to 32 lakh women by February, he said.
Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's national initiative aims to empower 3 crore women as lakhpati baideus, the Chief Minister said that in Assam too, more than eight lakh women have already achieved this milestone by leveraging SHG loans, bank linkage and revolving fund support.
Sarma observed that Assam continues to import essential commodities such as eggs, rice, milk, pulses and edible oil. Trucks entering Assam are fully loaded but return empty, he said, adding that the State is yet to produce enough to meet its own requirements.
He attributed this largely to the limited participation of women in productive economic activity.
Highlighting the success of Amul, he said women's cooperatives in Gujarat produce nearly 1.5 crore litres of milk daily, while Assam produces only two lakh litres. If 40 lakh SHG women of Assam produce even one litre of milk each per day by engaging themselves in the dairy sector, Assam's daily milk production could jump to 40 lakh litres, he added.
Similarly, if each woman is able to generate just two eggs per day through poultry rearing, the State's daily production could reach 80 lakh eggs. With such collective effort, the State's rural economy could change significantly and Assam would no longer need to import these items, he said.
Sarma urged beneficiaries to make judicious use of the seed capital. He said that the Rs. 10,000 provided now is only the first step, and the scheme will continue until every beneficiary becomes a lakhpati baideu.
If the amount is deposited in an SHG account, it would help build a corpus of Rs. 1 lakh, which could then be used to start a collective or individual enterprise, or expand an existing business, he said. The Government will review the utilization of funds after six months and, upon proper utilization, beneficiaries will receive Rs. 25,000 and later Rs. 50,000 in successive phases, he said.
The Chief Minister informed that women of Barhampur have shown strong interest in sectors such as agriculture, livestock rearing, handloom and handicrafts. A total of 8,714 women have applied for goat-rearing, 5,176 for dairy, 3,859 for poultry, 2,989 for pig-rearing, 1,279 for duck-rearing and 1,133 for fishery-related activities.
On the Orunodoi scheme, the Chief Minister said 30,410 beneficiaries in Barhampur are currently availing benefits, and arrangements have been made to include another 3,000 eligible beneficiaries. Any remaining eligible household will also be covered, he assured.
He added that 2,546 girl students from the constituency have benefited from the Mukhya Mantrir Nijut Moina scheme, and said the State Government will announce several new welfare measures on 1st January.
Sarma said the Government is working to bring transformative changes to the lives of women in Assam. Schemes such as Orunodoi and MMUA have helped enhance the dignity of women, he noted.
Reaffirming that the Government honours women as "mothers" and "the Lakshmi of the household", he highlighted recent legislative measures to curb polygamy and strict action taken against child marriage.
The event was attended by Minister of Revenue & Disaster Management Keshab Mahanta and Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika; MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa; MLAs Jitu Goswami, Rupak Sharma, Diplu Ranjan Sharma and Sashikanta Das; ASRLM Mission Director Kuntalmoni Sharma Bordoloi; Nagaon Deputy Commissioner Debashis Sharma; senior officials from Panchayat & Rural Development and district administration; and a large number of beneficiaries.
Later, the Chief Minister inaugurated 'Mama Bazaar', a women-run market established at Kathiatoli Development Block. Initiated by local MLA Jitu Goswami and facilitated by the Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission, the marketplace is entirely operated by SHG members.
The market currently houses 24 shops, each run jointly by four SHG members who have invested Rs. 40,000 from entrepreneurship seed capital. The bazaar provides a dedicated platform for the sale and display of high-quality, locally produced goods.