The Karnataka State Women’s Development Corporation (KSWDC) will introduce a micro-credit scheme for women street vendors shortly.
Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, corporation chairperson Sarojini Bharadwaj said the scheme — ‘Jeevan Saathi’ — would be a pilot project introduced in Mysore, Shimoga and Gadag districts from this year. Later, the scheme would be extended to other districts based on the outcome, she said.
The corporation has earmarked Rs 2 crore for the pilot project wherein micro-credit from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 would be provided to women street vendors. A survey to identify the beneficiaries is underway. While 475 women street vendors have been identified in Mysore, the survey would begin shortly in Gadag and Shimoga districts.
Sarojini said the credit facility would be made available only to women street vendors holding license from the local authority. The corporation was contemplating a plan to get the licences for the beneficiaries based on its recommendations to avoid possible complications in the process of getting licences, she said.
Sarojini informed that ‘Mahila Bhavan’ would be built in Bangalore, Mangalore and Bagalkote to provide marketing facility for women entrepreneurs who were beneficiaries of various empowerment schemes. While the corporation would construct buildings in Bangalore and Mangalore, the Department of Women and Child Development had agreed to hand over the ‘Stree Shakti Bhavan’ in Bagalkote to the corporation. The scheme would be launched within a year, she said.
In addition, the State Resource Centres (SRC) in 16 districts would be converted into the corporation district offices and such offices would be opened in all 30 districts. This year there was lukewarm response for the tenders called to run the SRC.
