After Delhi driver training prog from SC women in other cities

The Centre's commercial motor driving training programme with self-defence skills for Scheduled Caste women, which was initially started from Delhi last year, is likely to be rolled out in some other metro towns, Union Minister Vijay Sampla said.
"The three-month programme, which was launched in Delhi a few months back, has been successful. We intend to extend it to other metro cities like Mumbai and Chennai," the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment said here.
The Union minister said the programme is a unique initiative and it will meet the objective of social and economic empowerment of women by creating job/self-employment opportunities.

"Already, first batch has passed out in Delhi. Under the programme, women belonging to the SC community are trained in driving skills after which they get the licence to drive. They are also taught self-defence skills and given some training in judo and other self-defence techniques," Sampla said here.
He said a stipend of Rs 1500 per month is given during the training programme. "In case, the selected candidate is a daughter of a Safai Karamchari the per month stipend is doubled," he informed.
Sampla said some of the women who have completed their training have got offers from well-known cab operators also.

"In Delhi, one such candidate who completed her course has got employment as DTC driver," he said.

He said 83 young women belonging to the SC community who completed their course have raised demand for three-wheelers.
"We will help them procure loans. Some have also applied for loan for taxis," he said.
The Minister said that in metro cities there was a demand for women drivers, particularly from a section of working women who travel alone.
He said under another programme, titled Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme for Scheduled Castes, a sum of Rs 200 crore has been allocated towards credit enhancement guarantee for young and start-up entrepreneurs, belonging to Scheduled Castes.

"The objective to encourage entrepreneurship in the lower strata of the society resulting in job creation," Sampla, who is also Punjab BJP President, said.