Lok Sabha Question No. 3311 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-08
Subject: Assistance for Construction of Working Women’s Hostels
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Durai Vaiko

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3311 TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.08.2025

## ASSISTANCE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF WORKING WOMEN'S HOSTELS

## 3311.  SHRI DURAI VAIKO:

Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has provided any financial assistance under the Central Scheme of Assistance for Construction/Expansion of Hostel Buildings for Working Women with Day-Care Centre, specifically for Tiruchirapalli and Pudukottai districts in Tamil Nadu;
- (b) if so, the details of such assistance, including amounts sanctioned, year of approval, implementing agency and current status of construction/renovation in said districts;
- (c) the  number of  working  women's hostels currently  operational  in  the  said  districts alongwith the total bed capacity made available through Central/State funding;
- (d) whether any additional funds are proposed/planned under future budget allocations to expand safe, affordable lodging with day-care facilities for working women in said districts, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether  the  Ministry  is  approving/expediting  such  hostels  to  support  women's employment and welfare in semi-urban and rural regions, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)

(a) to (e):      Sakhi Niwas Scheme [Working Women Hostel (WWH)] under the umbrella of Mission Shakti, is a demand driven Centrally Sponsored Scheme where States/UTs assess their  requirement  as  per  local  needs  and  proposals  are  approved  by  the  Programme Approval  Board  (PAB)  after  discussion  with  States/UTs.  The  Scheme  aims  to  promote availability  of  safe  and  conveniently  located accommodation for working women and for those women who are pursuing higher education and training, with Day care facility for children  in  urban,  semi-urban  and  even  rural  areas  where  employment  opportunity  for women exist.  In this scheme, fund is provided for rental accommodation.  Component of new construction has been discontinued.

The erstwhile Working Women Hostel (WWH) Scheme was launched in 1972-73 to provide Grant-in-Aid for construction of new/ expansion of existing buildings for providing hostel facilities to working women.  It is now known as Sakhi Niwas under Mission Shakti since April, 2022.  The available details of functional Sakhi Niwas in Tiruchirapalli and Pudukottai Districts are at Annexure-I.

Besides above, Ministry of Finance (MoF), Department of Expenditure (DoE) in August, 2024 has allocated Rs.5,000/- crores to 28 States under Part (X) (Construction of Working Women Hostels) of Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) Scheme for construction of working women hostels. Under this Scheme, Rs.223.00 crore has been allocated to the government of Tamil Nadu.  They submitted proposals for construction of hostels  in  14  Districts  at  the  total  cost  of  Rs.223.00  crore.   The  proposals  of  state government have been approved by DoE and 1 st  instalment of Rs.147.18 crore has been released by DoE to the State Government during 2024-25.  Details of proposals approved under the Scheme are at Annexure-II.

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## Annexure-I

ANNEXURE  WITH  REGARD  TO  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (A)  TO  (E)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.3311  FOR  ANSWER  ON  08.08.2025  REGARDING ASSISTANCE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF WORKING WOMEN'S HOSTELS ASKED BY SHRI DURAI VAIKO, HON'BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT (LS).

## Details of functional Sakhi Niwas in Tiruchirapalli and Pudukottai Districts

|   S.N | District Name of the Functional Hostels with Address                                                                       | Year of approval     | Name of the Implementing Organisation                        | Total Bed Capacity   |
|-------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------|
|     1 | Association, Reynold Road, 1977-78                                                                                         |                      | Young Women's Christian Association 30                       |                      |
|     2 | BHEL- Grama Valarchi Panikuzhu, Working Women Hostel, Bhel Township, Trichy- 620014                                        | 1983-84              | BHEL- Grama Valarchi Panikuzhu                               | 100                  |
|     3 | Holy Cross Hostel-Amaithi Nilaiyam, Bharathi Nagar Extn., Anna Nagar, Allithurai Road, Puthur, Trichy - 620017             | 1983-84              | Holy Cross Hostel- Amaithi Nilaiyam                          | 100                  |
|     4 | Tiruchirapalli Tamilnadu Pengal Nala Sangham, Annai Ashramam Campus, Vinobha Nagar, Airport, Trichy - 620007               | 1985-86              | Tamilnadu Pengal Nala Sangham                                | 72                   |
|     5 | Kasthuri Ba Working Women's Hostel, 3/2 Wiliams Road, Cantonment, Trichy-620001                                            | 1985-86              | Kasthuri Ba Working Women's Hostel                           | 100                  |
|     6 | St. Mary's Working Women's Hostel-TMSSS, Marsingpet Road, Melapudur, Trichy - 620001                                       | 1987-88              | St. Mary's Working Women's Hostel- TMSSS                     | 120                  |
|     7 | Ponni-Bharathidasan University, Working Women Hostel, Ponni Hostel, Bharathidasan University, Palkalai Perur,Trichy-620024 | 1987-88              | Ponni-Bharathidasan University                               | 300                  |
|     8 | J.J Educational Health and Charitable Trust, Amma Pettai, Poolangulathupatti Post, Trichy - 620009.                        | 2001-02              | J.J Educational Health and Charitable Trust                  | 200                  |
|     9 | Thozhi Trichy Hostel, No.33, Herber Road, Cantonment, Near Mayor Bungalow, Tiruchirappalli, 620001                         | 2020-21              | Tamil Nadu Working Women's Hostels Corporation Ltd (TNWWHCL) | 100                  |
|    10 | Pudukottai Pudukottai Thozhi Hostel, T.S.No 3760, 2 nd Melaveethi, Santhanathapuram, Pudukottai, Tamil Nadu, 622001        | 2024-25 (State fund) | Tamil Nadu Working Women's Hostels Corporation Ltd (TNWWHCL) | 36                   |

Annexure-II

ANNEXURE  WITH  REGARD  TO  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (A)  TO  (E)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.3311  FOR  ANSWER  ON  08.08.2025  REGARDING ASSISTANCE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF WORKING WOMEN'S HOSTELS ASKED BY SHRI DURAI VAIKO, HON'BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT (LS).

Details of hostels approved for construction in the State of Tamil Nadu under SASCI Scheme

(Amount Rupees in Crore)

| Sl.   | No.District        |   Number of |   HostelNumber of Beds |   Amount Approved |
|-------|--------------------|-------------|------------------------|-------------------|
| 1     | Chennai (Taramani) |           1 |                    450 |             36.69 |
| 2     | Chennai (Chepauk)  |           1 |                    500 |             42    |
| 3     | Madurai            |           1 |                     50 |              5.19 |
| 4     | Coimbatore         |           1 |                    200 |             15.95 |
| 5     | Kancheepuram       |           1 |                    200 |             15.12 |
| 6     | Erode              |           1 |                    100 |              9.64 |
| 7     | Krishnagiri        |           1 |                    100 |             10.86 |
| 8     | Nagapattinam       |           1 |                    100 |              9.98 |
| 9     | Cuddalore          |           1 |                     50 |              5.19 |
| 10    | Dharmapuri         |           1 |                     50 |              5.19 |
| 11    | Theni              |           1 |                     50 |              5.19 |
| 12    | Sivagangai         |           1 |                     50 |              5.19 |
| 13    | Ranipet            |           1 |                     50 |              5.45 |
| 14    | Krishnagiri        |           1 |                   1495 |             51.36 |
|       | Total              |          14 |                   3445 |            223    |

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