LUCKNOW Ahead of the 2027 assembly elections, the Uttar Pradesh government is preparing to launch the Mahila Udyami Credit Yojana to provide interest-free loans of up to ₹ 1 lakh to around 10 million women to help them start or expand small businesses, deputy chief minister and rural development minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said.
The proposed scheme will cover women associated with self-help groups under the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission (UPSRLM) and the loans will be provided in three stages, with the total assistance going up to ₹ 1 lakh, he said.
Maurya also directed officials to ensure that women could easily access loans to buy cattle, saying milk production could help increase their incomes and support the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ programme. Bankers and officials were also asked to increase awareness about government schemes and ensure that benefits reached eligible beneficiaries without delays.
The deputy CM said the government was committed to empowering women. “The process of providing loans to eligible women will be simplified and streamlined,” he said. “The state government will bear the interest, so there should be no obstacles in providing eligible women benefits of the scheme,” he said. “The objective is not merely to provide loans to women, but to increase their income and make them economically self-reliant,” he said, adding, “Increasing women’s income will strengthen the economic condition of families and lay the foundation for prosperity in villages. “The use of drones will promote new technologies in agriculture and other activities, while also creating new income opportunities for women,” he said. “Strengthening women’s economic status will make a positive impact on the health and education of their families and children,” he said. “It should be ensured that the benefits of schemes reach the actual beneficiaries and that there are no unnecessary delays at any level,” he said.
Addressing a meeting of technical support agencies, bankers, dairy companies and HCL, which has been contracted under UPSRLM, at the State Planning Commission office in Lucknow on Wednesday, Maurya asked banks to adopt a collaborative approach while providing loans to poor women.
“The first loan is expected to be ₹ 20,000. Women who repay it on time will be eligible for a second loan of ₹ 30,000, followed by a third tranche of ₹ 50,000 after repayment of the second loan. Overall, the scheme is expected to benefit three crore women.
In the first phase, one crore women will receive financial assistance and soon the remaining two crore women will be covered,” Maurya said.
