Karnataka Budget 2021: What B S Yediyurappa’s ‘Women-Centric’ Budget Has To Offer On International Women’s Day

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had announced a week ago that his state budget this time would focus on women and their development as the date of the state budget coincided with International Women’s Day.

Yediyurappa presented the budget at 12:05 pm today, announcing a total grant of Rs 37,188 crore for women-oriented programmes. Here are the budgetary provisions that are focussed on women:

1. Upgradation of Anganawadis situated in Bengaluru and other cities into creches for the benefit of urban working women; action to open crèches in two major government offices in each district centre.

2. Loan facility up to Rs 2 crore at a subsidised interest rate of 4 per cent through Woman Development Board/Karnataka State Finance Corporation to women entrepreneurs in the service sector.

3. Support through Panchayat Raj institutions for the establishment of 6,000 micro enterprises for rural women self-help groups under ‘Sanjeevini’; to benefit 60,000 women.

4. Encouragement to 25,000 women through 2,260 micro enterprises.

5. To provide market to the products manufactured by women self-help groups and women entrepreneurs, organisation of annual fair at the divisional level and implementation of e-market facility.

6. Commencement of ‘Vanitha Sangathi’ programme for providing BMTC bus pass at concessional rates to women labourers of garment sector in Bengaluru at an expenditure of Rs 30 crore.

7. Re-examination of various laws and rules for creation of a conducive environment for women taking up employment.

8. Action to incorporate gender budget and child budget in the Panchayat Raj system.

9. Fixing of 7,500 cameras in public places of Bengaluru city under safe city project; action to intensify night beats through technology based e-beat system.

10. Establishment of a centre of excellence in collaboration with NIMHANS and National Law School for giving assistance and guidance to women subjected to atrocities.

11. For the women who have obtained licences from Agricultural Produce Market Committees, 10 per cent reservation in the allotment of sites, godowns, shops, shop-cum-godowns in the premises.

12. Facility of child care leave of six months to women employees of the government.

13. To support women entrepreneurs by implementation of Elevate Women Entrepreneurship programme at an expenditure of Rs 5 crore.

14 . Implementation of a self-help group policy to strengthen self-help groups and their federation of the state; action to bring all the self-help groups under the livelihood mission.

15. Commencement of ‘Women Protection and Empowerment Mission’ under the direct supervision of the Chief Minister.