‘Rising Rajasthan’ summit: Investment proposals worth over Rs 8 lakh crore to be implemented on ground

Ahmedabad, March 8 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to mark International Women’s Day in Gujarat’s Navsari on Saturday by interacting with ‘Lakhpati Didis’ and launching key initiatives aimed at bolstering women’s financial independence.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to attend the ‘Lakhpati Didi Sammelan’ at Vansi-Borsi, where he will distribute over Rs 450 crore in financial aid to more than 2.5 lakh women from over 25,000 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) across the state.

During the event, PM Modi will engage in a conversation with ten selected Lakhpati Didis and honour five of them with certificates. A documentary highlighting the success of the Lakhpati Didi Scheme in Gujarat will be showcased, along with the launch of two significant state-specific initiatives aimed at promoting financial independence among women.

The ‘Lakhpati Didi Yojana,’ launched by the Prime Minister on August 15, 2023, focusses on empowering women entrepreneurs by recognising those who earn Rs 10,000 or more per month and have an annual income of at least Rs 1 lakh through activities like agriculture, animal husbandry, and small industries.

Approximately 1.5 lakh women in Gujarat have already attained this milestone.

The ‘Lakhpati Didi Sammelan’ will see the participation of nearly one lakh women from Navsari, Valsad, and Dang districts, most of whom are either part of SHGs that have achieved the Lakhpati Didi status or aspire to do so.

Following the event, a public function will take place, where PM Modi will introduce two state-level schemes — G-SAFAL and G-MAITRI — designed to uplift women from marginalised communities and foster rural entrepreneurship.

The G-SAFAL (Gujarat Scheme for Better Livelihoods for Antyodaya Families) initiative, which will be rolled out on March 8, aims to support the livelihoods of women from Antyodaya families by enhancing their financial independence.

Over the next five years, this scheme is expected to benefit 50,000 Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) cardholder families across two aspirational districts and 13 aspirational talukas in Gujarat. The programme will provide financial assistance and entrepreneurial training to women from SHGs within Antyodaya families.

Each participating woman will receive Rs 1 lakh in financial aid along with vocational training, with a total assistance pool of Rs 500 crore allocated to benefit 50,000 women. To ensure effective implementation, field coaches will be assigned, with one mentor guiding 50 to 60 women through weekly coaching and capacity-building sessions.

In a bid to foster rural startups and promote social entrepreneurship, the G-MAITRI (Gujarat Mentorship and Acceleration of Individuals for Transforming Rural Income) scheme will also be introduced.

The initiative aims to support rural entrepreneurs and strengthen the startup ecosystem in Gujarat by providing necessary resources and funding. The Gujarat Social Enterprise Fund (G-SEF) has earmarked Rs 50 crore over the next five years to assist startups dedicated to improving rural livelihoods.

Through this scheme, over 10 lakh rural women and youth will receive livelihood opportunities.

The G-MAITRI scheme is designed to support more than 150 startups over the next five years through seed and scale startup programmes. Grants ranging from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 30 lakh will be provided to startups, with seed-stage startups receiving Rs 20 lakh and scale-stage startups eligible for up to Rs 30 lakh.

This initiative will not only foster economic growth in rural areas but also encourage innovation and self-reliance among aspiring entrepreneurs.

–IANS

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Kolkata, Oct 26 (IANS) Upendra Nath Biswas, the former CBI Joint Director (East) who played a key role in the Fodder Scam probe in Bihar, considers seven of the 75 cases registered in the two-decade-old matter his prized trophies as all of them resulted in the conviction of former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.

“All these seven cases were linked to Lalu Prasad Yadav and we won all despite his attempt to seek relief up to the level of the Supreme Court,” the 84-year-old retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer told IANS in an exclusive interview,

Hailed by his peers for his impartial investigation and the ability to withstand interference during the probe, Biswas revealed that he withstood pressure from his seniors to go soft on Lalu Prasad Yadav.

“I was told to do something which would result in Lalu Prasad Yadav emerging clean,” said the former CBI supercop, often described as the man who single-handedly forced Lalu Prasad Yadav to step down as Chief Minister.

Biswas said that, initially, the Bihar government wanted to conduct a probe into the scam at its own level — an attempt which was foiled by the High Court, which said you are a party, so you cannot conduct the inquiry on your own.

Recalling the days of the high-profile probe, Biswas said, “The accused who indulged in the misappropriation worked at the lower level, but their connections led us up to the Chief Minister.”

“Those who committed the crime paid money to the people at the upper level, with the latter issuing orders. This was a larger conspiracy which showed total disregard for law and administration,” said Biswas.

The Fodder Scam unfolded during 1990-91 and 1995-96. As part of it, the then Bihar Animal Husbandry Department officials, in conspiracy with unscrupulous suppliers and others, withdrew and misappropriated hundreds of crores of rupees under the pretext of making payment to the suppliers, who submitted spurious/bogus bills falsely showing supply of feed, fodder and veterinary medicines.

It was further alleged that the amount so withdrawn was eventually misappropriated. During the investigation, the roles of bureaucrats, politicians, including the then Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo and Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and others, came to the fore.

–IANS

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