Aiming to facilitate employment opportunities for women, the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) ministry is implementing special, dedicated schemes for Women Entrepreneurship Development, parliament was informed on Monday.

These schemes include Trade Related Entrepreneurship Assistance and Development (TREAD) Scheme and Mahila Coir Yojana, Minister for State for MSME Giriraj Singh told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

The TREAD Scheme envisages economic empowerment of women through trade related training, information and counselling extension activities related to trades, products and services.

“Under the scheme financial loans are provided by nationalized banks and grants by government of India at the rate of 30 percent of the loan subject to maximum limit of Rs.30 lakh through NGOs for capacity building and for undertaking self-employment ventures by women in non-farm activities,” the minister said.

Under Mahila Coir Yojana, financial assistance is provided for motorized ratts for spinning coir yarn to women artisans after giving training.

Government provides motorized ratts/motorized traditional ratts at 75 percent cost subsidy subject to a maximum ceiling of Rs.7,500 for motorized ratts and Rs.3,200 for motorized traditional ratts. The remaining 25 percent is raised by the beneficiaries.

Fund allocated for these schemes during the current year (2015-16) is Rs.6.70 crore, the minister said.

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