Lok Sabha Question No. 3264 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-05
Subject: Rashtriya Mahila Kosh
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Sanganna Amarappa Karadi, Jaisiddeshwar Shivacharya Mahaswamiji, B. Y. Raghavendra, Prathap Simha, L.S. Tejasvi Surya, Umesh G. Jadhav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3264

TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.08.2022

## RASHTRIYA MAHILA KOSH

## 3264.  SHRI SANGANNA AMARAPPA:

SHRI SHA.BRA.DR.JAI SIDDESHWAR SHIVACHARYA MAHASWAMIJI: SHRI B.Y. RAGHAVENDRA: SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA: SHRI L.S. TEJASVI SURYA: DR. UMESH G.JADHAV:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state :

- (a) whether  Ministry  has  made  any  efforts  to  strengthen  Rashtriya  Mahila  Kosh  (RMK)  to provide micro-credit to poor women for various livelihood support and income generating activities  at  concessional  terms  in  a  client-friendly  procedure  to  bring  about  their  socioeconomic development and if so, the details thereof; and
- (b) the  details  of  women  benefitted  under  the  scheme  in  the  state  of  Karnataka  and Maharashtra since 2014, year-wise and district- wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) was set up by the Government of India in 1993 for extending concessional micro-finance loans to poor women  through Intermediary Micro-Finance Organizations (IMOs) for livelihood activities,  housing, micro-enterprises and family needs to bring  about  socio-economic upliftment  of  women.  RMK extended collateral free concessional micro-finance loans to poor women through IMOs. Since its inception, it has sanctioned loans amounting to Rs.373.12 crore and disbursed Rs. 315.13 crore covering 7,41,163 beneficiaries.

At  the  time  RMK  was  setup,  it  was  a  prominent  Government  body  working  in  the  area  of extending  concessional  micro-finance  loans  to  poor  women  through  IMOs.  Since  then, substantial alternative credit facility mechanisms have become available to women entrepreneurs  through  various  Government  initiatives  like  Pradhan  Mantri  Mudra  Yojna  and Stand UP India. In line with the recommendations of the Expert Management Commission set up by the Ministry of Finance and the report on Rationalisation of Government Bodies authored by the Principal Economic Adviser, Department of Economic Affairs, Government has decided to close down RMK to improve efficiency and utilize available resources optimally.

(b)  District-wise  data  of  beneficiaries  covered  by  RMK  is  not  maintained.  The  details  of beneficiaries covered under RMK in the state of Karnataka and Maharashtra, since 2014 are as under:

|   SL NO. | Financial Year   | Maharashtra   | Karnataka   |
|----------|------------------|---------------|-------------|
|        1 | 2014-15          | NIL           | NIL         |
|        2 | 2015-16          | NIL           | NIL         |
|        3 | 2016-17          | NIL           | NIL         |
|        4 | 2017-18          | 90            | NIL         |
|        5 | 2018-19          | 373           | 227         |
|        6 | 2019-20          | NIL           | NIL         |
|        7 | 2020-21          | NIL           | NIL         |
|        8 | 2021-22          | NIL           | NIL         |