Muktidhara scheme in West Bengal
As the unemployment is the greatest threat to the all developing country all around the world, India is not an exception. Though, central government have introduced several initiatives and welfare schemes to the unemployed youths of India, the participants of the state government is mandatory in order to make the effective changes in the society.
West Bengal one of the prime state of eastern part of India, having the capital city as Kolkata the west Bengal state has over 90 million population in it. The state West Bengal has high number of unemployment rate as of to the many states in the India, as the central government boosts talented youths to start their own business and to entire into entrepreneurship, the state government of Bengal too not a exception.
There has been several schemes and plans are offered by the west Bengal government in order to boost the self improvement groups which plays a vital role in reducing the state’s unemployment problem and so plays the handy part in state’s economic growth.
Muktidhara project is for the West Bengal which is launch by the government for the success of the rural area people. Muktidhara means mukti (freedom) from poverty. This scheme is make rural people independent and free them from poverty. This scheme is launch in 2013 by the West Bengal government. This project is first launch in Purulia on the trail basis. Under this scheme rural people will give training for their work
Objectives of the Muktidhara project
In these modern days, where city people have all the facility but rural people are still struggling for their living. Their living depends upon the selling fuel wood and they are still using the old methods of cultivation. They still suffer with problem of effective market linkages and seasonal migration of farmers.
The project of Muktidhara is about address the problems which are faced by the self investment groups that works keen on providing employment to the youths and peoples of the state. The Purulia districts is about to get more number of SHGs in order to improve the livelihood choice for the rural people of that district.
| S.No | Things Need to know about the Scheme | Detailed Information |
| 1 | Name of the Scheme | Muktidhara Scheme |
| 2 | State which introduced this scheme? | West Bengal |
| 3 | Who Launched this scheme? | CM of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee |
| 4 | Scheme Supports | Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) |
| 5 | Scheme mainly focuses on | Advancement of Self Improvement Groups of the state West Bengal |
The project basic purpose is to train people so that they get more source of income by inspire every household of the self-help groups to participate in numerous income generating method and can earn at least minimum for their living means at least Rs. 3,000 per month. Basically this plan is for the rural area women so that they can earn and they will not keep dependant on the others.
Scheme Under this plan:
Under this plan government launch many schemes for villages by mean of Self-help groups (SHGs). As most of the women in the target group were farmers so government plan to give training to women in concern of agriculture so that they can adopt new techniques of cropping and can earn more and more. By trainers from model Self-help groups covered agricultural activities supported by livestock based activities and some plantation works.
Under the scheme every gram panchayat will have five groups and each one will have 10 members. They will get bank loan at very reasonable interest rate and also get some part from state government. The scheme will provide support to the Self Help Groups by creating infrastructure. Following are activities which are cover under this scheme:
Planning livelihood activities
Thus, Self-help group’s members planned numerous activities for poor village women so that they can earn lot for their families. This grope train the women how they can get loan from bank to start their own work and what is minimum amount they can get also. This group also aware that the women about their skill so that they can choose the correct profession for their families.
Best thing about this loan scheme is that with the help of Self-help groups no guarantors were necessary to authorize these loans. As these loans are firstly given to Self-help groups and they provide that money to the required person of group according to their needs. This group approach not only facilitates authorize of loans not also make sure repayment.
Also government find it out that the agriculture method used in villages are yet not modern. Villages are still using the traditional methods. Because of that, government guides the Self-help groups that they guide the villager about new agriculture techniques and provides them new machine so that growth of crop increase and finally the income. This group guide people about water management, crop management, pest management, fertiliser management and so on. These innovations have been operationalised with the assist of local experts, and technical inputs from a Community Based Organisation (CBO) working in villages were also sought.
Agricultural innovations to improve productivity
- Zero cash subsidy: Under this farmer will provide different facility at minimum cost by government without any profit. Industrial inputs in terms of ways of cultivation, application of fertilisers etc., and other hold up services such as training, field demonstration etc. are given by the district administration from time to time.
- Give Proper Training To women: Under this scheme Self-help groups will give training to women of villages so that they can start their own work and complete the requirement of their families. For this they also provides basic requirement of their business.
- Individual nurturing through group effort: As the group takes the day to day livelihood problems faced by the individuals, promoting such groups in the state would be more beneficial for government in order to sort out the problems in ease. Also, it gives the opportunity for government to monitor the activities regularly.
Generating livelihoods for several families
Under this scheme many villager will get their live hoods and now they are in position that they earn good for their families. This all happen because of help of the Self-help groups. They provide sufficient resources, and other things that villages need to set up their own work using the modern techniques. Because of this plan people of backwards villages are also in good position and they are also able to earn sufficient for their families.
What is next in the Scheme?
The current state government of west Bengal is about to re-launch the existing Muktidhara project in 9 different states about 37 new offices will be opened in order to provide valuable infrastructure for rural youths to get educated.
On the other hand, in the present phase the state government has also planned to introduce insurance scheme for the self-help groups SHG and Muktidhara project. So that villagers can get benefit of different health scheme. And after this insurance scheme they need not to worry about the different problem.
Under the development phase this scheme was only for the Purulia but now it is implemented in other villages of state so that poor villagers can take benefit of this scheme and can improve their lifestyle because everyone must have equal rights of living. No doubt this is good scheme for the poor villagers and others state will also get benefited by this scheme like the Purulia.
Conclusion
The process of boosting the self improvement groups across the state would encourage several individuals to take part in it and it gives more confidence among the MSME groups on getting the benefits and motivation by the state government. Since, the success of the scheme ‘Muktidhara’ decreases the unemployment rates; it improves the nation’s growth too. Also with proper implementation and proper guidelines, the scheme would be a fruitful thing for state’s growth.
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