Shri Giriraj Singh has conveyed that the Coir Board is implementing Mahila Coir Yojana(MCY) exclusively for empowering women in the country by giving training and distribution of coir processing equipments. This is a 100% women oriented programme intended to provide self employment to the rural women artisans in coir producing regions. The scheme envisages distribution of motorized ratts/motorized traditional ratts and other coir processing equipments, which can be operated by women, at 75% subsidy after imparting training with a duration of 2 months subject to a maximum amount of Rs.7,500/-.
The training under MCY are conducted through all training centres of the Board. During the training period, the women artisans are given stipend amounting to Rs.1000 per month. The scheme is prevalent in coir producing coastal States such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Lakshadweep, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Pondicherry, A& N Islands, West Bengal and NE Region.
During the current year the targets of 1000 women for training and 200 ratts/equipments for distribution to the trained women have been fixed under MCY and an amount of Rs. 35.00 lakhs have been allocated for the current year. Coir Board has received 97 applications under the Scheme and all the applications are from Kerala only.
This Press Release is based on information given by the Minister of State for MSME Shri Giriraj Singh in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 31.07.2017 (Monday).