Assam’s state government has devised a unique strategy for population control. The government of Assam has decided to extend the benefits of its new financial scheme “lakhpati Baideo” for women to families with less than three children. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyaan (MMUA) on Thursday (11th January), saying that all beneficiary schemes run by the state government would be linked to such “population norms” progressively. This is consistent with his promise in 2021 that the state government will implement a two-child policy for beneficiaries of particular state-funded initiatives.
Decisions we took in today’s meeting of the #AssamCabinet
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) January 7, 2024
✅Dry Day on 22.01.2024 on the occasion of Pran Pratishtha of Shri Ram Lalla Virajman
✅ Approval to Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan- a new scheme to financially support rural women entrepreneurs
1/2 pic.twitter.com/tgfn8qqIOF
“This year, the annual income of 7 lakh women engaged with self-help groups has gone up to Rs 1 lakh. Under this scheme, in the first year, the government will give an initial amount of Rs 10,000. In 2nd year, the state government will give Rs 12,500 and the bank will give a loan amount of Rs 12,500 to the beneficiaries. The bank loan will have to be repaid by the beneficiary,” CM Sarma said.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma says, "We will start a new scheme 'Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyamita' for women self-help groups in rural areas in the state. This year the annual income of 7 lakh women engaged with self-help groups has gone up to Rs 1 lakh. Under this scheme, in the… pic.twitter.com/G7rj0gLkXf
— ANI (@ANI) January 11, 2024
“There are certain criteria for women beneficiaries – women in general and OBC categories should not have more than 3 children. The women beneficiaries from Moran, Matak, Tea Community and SC/ST should have a maximum of only 4 children. Members having girl children who are of school-going age should ensure that they are admitted to school,” the Assam CM added
The scheme aims to develop 40 lakh self-help group (SHG) members as rural micro-entrepreneurs and assist them in becoming “lakhpati baideos (elder sisters)”.
The ‘Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan’ scheme will be implemented at a cost of Rs 4,000 crore and will be available to SHG members who want to start a personal business plan in addition to their group activity.
“In Assam, we are following a policy to control the State’s population growth. All of our welfare schemes will be linked to population control measures for the benefit of our mothers and sisters,” CM Sarma wrote on X on Thursday.
In Assam we are following a policy to control the State's population growth.
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) January 11, 2024
All of our welfare schemes will be linked to population control measures for the benefit of our mothers and sisters.#PressConferenceHighlights pic.twitter.com/9AZPpy5jzC
Sarma explained that the reasoning behind connecting the Lakhpati Baideo initiative to the number of children is to ensure that the funds are utilised to establish businesses by women. “Where will a woman find the time to spend money, where will she find the time to do business if she has four children? She’ll be busy making her children study,” the Assam CM said.
It is pertinent to recall that back in October 2019, the Assam Cabinet decided to bar people with more than two children from holding state government jobs after January 1, 2021, in an effort to stabilise the state’s rate of population growth. The Assam Legislative Assembly adopted the ‘Population and Women Empowerment Policy of Assam’ in September 2017. According to the policy, anyone with more than two children would be barred from running in municipal and panchayat elections, getting government jobs, or receiving other benefits.
