No funds from Centre for Rajasthan Mahila Nidhi 8 months since its launch

JAIPUR: The central government is yet to release the capital support amounting to Rs 100 crore and a grant of Rs 10 crore for administrative and technological support (establishment cost) for the Rajasthan Mahila Nidhi Credit Co-operative Federation, which was launched by chief minister Ashok Gehlot in August last year.
Aimed at social and economic progress of women self-help groups (SHGs), the federation makes credit easily available to members for business expansion and entrepreneurship.The state government has submitted several proposals since September to the ministry of rural development, government of India, for the release of the funds, a senior official said.
“The release of capital support by the government of India is pending at the level of the ministry of rural development. They have to release the money in two tranches (of Rs 50 crore each),” said the official.
The Rajasthan government had already provided capital support of Rs 25 crore for 2022-23. It has made a budgetary provision for another Rs 25 crore as capital support for the current year 2023-24.
Under the scheme, loans up to Rs 40,000 would be deposited in bank accounts of self-help groups within 48 hours. At present, 2.70 lakh SHGs have been formed in the state’s 33 districts and 30 lakh families are members.
The Stree Nidhi Telengana is a support agency for Rajasthan Mahila Nidhi for providing hand-holding and technical support. “The government of India had accepted the recommendations of the Chaturvedi report, which had studied the Telangana model, in 2019. The Chaturvedi committee recommended that Stree Nidhi Telangana be replicated in other states. The Telangana model was turned into a National Support Organisation (NSO) for technical support. It also recommended a provision of capital support and establishment cost to be provided to the states by the Centre,” the official said.
According to an official, out of 700 cluster level federations (CLFs) promoted by the Rajastahn government’s Rajeevika scheme, 200 have already become members of Mahila Nidhi. “About 1,700 SHGs have been financed through Mahila Nidhi at a cost of Rs 16 crore. Each CLF has to contribute a share capital of Rs 10 lakh to become a member of Mahila Nidhi. A dividend is provided to these CLFs at the end of the year,” the official said.