Bengaluru: Marking the International Women’s Day, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Monday announced a slew of freebies, sops, and welfare measures for women in the Karnataka Budget for fiscal 2021-22.
Women constitute about 50 percent of the state’s 7.05-crore population.
“As International Women’s Day is being celebrated today (Monday), the state government is committed to equality and empowerment of women. When women, who constitute 50 percent of the population involved in nation-building and economic activities, it will not be difficult to achieve prosperity,” Yediyurappa said, presenting the state budget for the ensuing fiscal (2021-22) in the legislative assembly here.
As part of budget proposals, the chief minister said hundreds of women workers in the garment sector in Bengaluru would be given bus pass at concessional fare, as they are the highest in number across the city.
“Rs 30 crore has been allocated to implement the concessional scheme by the state-run BMTC (Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation) for women working in the garment sector,” said Yediyurappa in his 2-hour long budget speech in Kannada.
Rs 2 crore loan will be given at a 4 percent subsidized interest rate per annum to women entrepreneurs in hospital, wellness, and other service sectors through the state Women Development Board or Karnataka State Financial Corporation in a bid to encourage their participation in the growth.
Women with a license will be given 10 percent reservation in allotting sites, shop-cum-godowns in the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) yard.
“We will implement ‘elevate women entrepreneurship’ program with Rs 5-crore outlay to support them across the state with the facility on finance, global connectivity, and counseling,” said the chief minister.
Rural women will be given support under the state rural livelihood mission ‘Sanjeevini’ to set up 6,000 micro-enterprises in catering, cleanliness work, poultry, sheep rearing, solid waste management, hygiene, construction, and other activities through panchayat raj institutions.
“The program will help about 60,000 women across the state to be self-employed through self-help groups,” said Yediyurappa on the occasion.
“Rs 37,188 crore has been provided in the budget for all women-oriented programs to be implemented in fiscal 2021-22,” he told the lawmakers after opposition Congress members boycotted his budget speech and staged a walkout of the House in protest against the steep hike in fuel prices across the country.
Assistance will also be given to women entrepreneurs making papad, pickles, roti, spices, and other food products by providing them food safety, packaging, branding, roadside vending, and access to online marketing with technical help.
“About 25,000 women will be encouraged with 10 from each taluk through 2,260 micro-enterprises across the state,” declared the chief minister.
The state government will upgrade Anganwadis in Bengaluru and other cities into creches to enable urban working women to take care of their children.
“Creches will also be set up in two government offices in each of the 31 districts across the state for the benefit of women employees,” he noted.
Help centers will be set up in all police stations across the state under the Nirbhaya scheme. About 7,500 cameras will be installed in Bengaluru for the security of women under the safe city projects. Night beat will be intensified with e-beat based for greater security of women in the state.
“Women employees in the state government will be given 6 months child care leave in addition to maternity leave for their welfare, as they are an important part of our administrative machinery,” added Yediyurappa.
