The Uttarakhand government will begin providing benefits under the Chief Minister Single Women Self-Employment Scheme from next month, marking the first time such a scheme is being implemented in the state. The list of eligible beneficiaries has already been finalised, according to officials.
Under the scheme, a final list of 504 eligible single women has been approved so far. An additional list of 331 eligible women is currently being finalised. The scheme aims to support financial independence by offering subsidies for self-employment projects.
Women Empowerment and Child Development Minister Rekha Arya reviewed the progress of the scheme during a departmental meeting at the Secretariat. She stated that the initiative is intended to strengthen economic self-reliance among single women, particularly those without stable income support.
During the same meeting, Minister Rekha Arya also reviewed the Nanda Gaura Scheme. Officials informed that final beneficiary lists from 11 districts have been prepared. These include 34,852 girls who have passed the intermediate level and 6,021 newborn girls. A programme to distribute the approved financial assistance is planned for the first week of February.
The minister directed officials to complete the beneficiary lists for the remaining two districts at the earliest to avoid further delays in disbursement. While the schemes target large numbers, officials have not clarified timelines for pending districts, which remains a key administrative gap.
The meeting also addressed welfare measures for Anganwadi workers. Minister Rekha Arya announced that Anganwadi workers will receive ₹1 lakh upon retirement starting from April 1. The government is also considering increasing this amount in the next financial year.
Additionally, the state government is preparing a new welfare scheme for elderly women. The proposed scheme aims to provide economic, social, health, and emotional support. Officials will conduct village-level surveys to assess needs before finalising the scheme structure.
Senior officials present at the meeting included Departmental Secretary Chandresh Kumar, Director Bansilal Rana, Deputy Director Vikram Singh, and Mohit Chaudhary.
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Under the CM Single Women Self-Employment Scheme, eligible women will receive a 75 percent subsidy on projects costing up to ₹2 lakh. The government has indicated that implementation will begin in the coming month.
