Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents the Interim Budget 2024
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today enhanced the target of 'Lakhpati Didi' scheme from two crore to three crore, a step aimed at empowering women in the rural areas. The Finance Minister, in her last budget speech before the general elections, said. "83 lakh SHGs (self-help groups) with nine crore women are transforming the rural socio-economic landscape with empowerment and self-reliance,"
"Buoyed by the success, it has been decided to enhance the target of lakhpati didi from 2 crore to 3 crore," she informed in her record sixth budget speech in a row.
The Lakhpati Didi initiative, aimed at training women in self-help groups so that they can earn a sustainable income of at least Rs 1 lakh per annum per household - was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the ramparts of Red Fort in his Independence Day address last year.
"Today 10 crore Rural Women are part of the Self-Help Groups. When you go to a village, you will find 'bank-wali didi', 'Anganwadi didi' and 'dawai-wali (medicine) didi'. It is my dream to make two crore lakhpati didis in the villages," he had said.
The Mission seeks to achieve its objective through investing in four core components - (a) social mobilization and promotion and strengthening of self-managed and financially sustainable community institutions of the rural poor; (b) financial inclusion of the rural poor; (c) sustainable livelihoods; and (d) social inclusion, social development and convergence.
During her interim Budget speech, Ms Sitharaman expressed hope that the good policies and the work done by the Central government will help the BJP return to power for the third consecutive time in a row.
PM Modi chaired the cabinet meeting ahead of the Interim Budget presentation in Parliament. The interim budget will take care of the financial needs of the intervening period until a government is formed after the Lok Sabha polls.
A full budget will be presented by the new government. The Budget Session of Parliament commenced on Wednesday with President Droupadi Murmu addressing a joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.