Lok Sabha Question No. 201 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-02
Subject: Schemes for Destitute Women
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 201

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2024

## SCHEMES FOR DESTITUTE WOMEN

## 201. SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

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

- (a) the  number  of  women  particularly  widows,  divorcee  and  destitute  in  the  country, particularly in Maharashtra, district-wise;
- (b) the  details  of  the  schemes/programmes  being  run  for  the  welfare,  rehabilitation, empowerment, education and providing employment to such women;
- (c) the funds sanctioned, released and utilized by the States/UTs for the said purpose during each of the last five years and the current year;
- (d) the number of beneficiaries thereunder during the said period, State/UT-wise;  and
- (e) the other measures being taken by the Government for the empowerment of the said women?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (e) The State Government of Maharashtra has informed that such statistical data is not maintained by the State.

As per Census 2011, the number of widowed and divorced women in the country State/UTwise,  including  Maharashtra,  is  at Annexure-I. The  Government  is  implementing  various schemes and programmes for empowerment of women including destitute women, which are as follows:

Shakti Sadan : Under the overarching Mission Shakti, Swadhar Greh for Women in difficult circumstances  and  Ujjawala  Homes  for  Prevention  of  Trafficking  have  been  merged  and known as Shakti Sadan Scheme which is an Integrated Relief and Rehabilitation Home for women  in  distress  situations  including  trafficked  women.   The  Shakti  Sadan  Scheme specifically designed to cater to the destitute and women in difficult circumstances.   It is a demand driven centrally sponsored scheme, under which funds are directly released to the States/UTs  for  implementation  of  the  scheme.   It  aims  at  creating  a  safe  and  enabling environment for the women in distress situations, to enable them to overcome the difficult circumstances.Under the Scheme, financial assistance is provided for running of Shakti Sadan in rented premises.

Home for  Widows  has been  set  up  in  Vrindavan,  Uttar  Pradesh  with  a  capacity  of  1,000 residents to provide a safe and secure place of stay, health services, nutritious food, legal and counselling services.

One  Stop  Centres (OSCs),  popularly  known  as Sakhi Centres,  aim  to  facilitate  women affected by violence (including domestic violence) with a range of integrated services under one roof such as Police facilitation, medical aid, legal aid and legal counselling, psycho-social counselling, temporary shelter, etc.

Women  Helpline  (WHL)  Scheme provides  24  hours  emergency  and  non-emergency response to women affected by violence, both in public and private spaces by linking them with appropriate authority such as Police, One Stop Centre, Hospital, Legal Services, etc. WHL also supports women in distress with rescue van and counselling services in addition to providing  information  about  women  welfare  schemes  and  programs  across  the  country. Women can dial 181 short code to avail services from Women Helpline.

Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme :  Under this  scheme,  widow  pension  is provided to the widows belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) households. This is a subscheme  under  National Social Assistance  Programme  (NSAP)  of  Ministry of Rural Development. Under the scheme, central assistance @ Rs. 300/- per month is provided to widows in the age group of 40-79 years and the pension amount is enhanced to Rs 500/- per month on attaining 80 years.

The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) is a fully funded Centrally Sponsored Scheme targeting the destitute to be identified by the States and UTs with the objective of providing a basic level of financial support. Under NSAP, central assistance of Rs. 200 - 300/is provided in pension to senior citizens (60 years and above), widows (40-79 years) and for disabled persons.

Ayushman Bharat Programme with its twin pillars of Health and Wellness Centres and the Pradhan  Mantri  Jan  ArogyaYojana  (PMJAY),provides  coverage  to  poor  and  vulnerable families and this wouldalso help improve women's access to health care services.

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA) seeks to ensure employment in rural households, mandating that at least one third of the jobs generated should be given to women. The MGNREGA Guidelines have also made special provisions to encourage the participation of women, including giving preference to women (especially single women) and older persons for work on worksites nearer to their residences, child care facilities at the worksite in case more than five children under 6 years of age are present, adequate representation of women in the MGNREGS staff, ensuring that widows, deserted  women  and  destitute  women  are  provided  100  days  of  work,  awareness  and outreach activities to ensure that all wage seekers (including women) are able to handle bank procedures, treating pregnant and lactating mothers as a special category and provision of suitable work for them etc.

Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) has been launched to ensure old age protection for Unorganised Workers who are not covered by any other pension scheme. The unorganised  workers  including  women,  mostly  engaged  as  home  based  workers,  street vendors,  mid-day  meal  workers,  head  loaders,  brick  kiln  workers,  cobblers,  rag  pickers, domestic workers,  washer  men, rickshaw  pullers,  landless  labourers,  agricultural  workers, construction  workers,  beedi  workers,  handloom  workers,  leather  workers,  audio-visual workers and similar other occupation whose monthly income is Rs 15,000/ per month or less and belong to the entry age group of 18-40 years.

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) has  been  initiated  by  Government,  inter  alia,  for facilitation self-employment. Under PMMY, collateral free loans uptoRs. 10 lakh are extended to micro/small business enterprises and to individuals to enable them to setup or expand their business activities which include women.

Prime Minister  AwaasYojana (PMAY-G): This  scheme  aims  to  provide  'Housing  for  All' through  provision  of  pucca  house  with  basic  amenities  to  all  house  less  households  and households living  in  kutcha  and  dilapidated  house  in  rural  areas.This  will  also  benefit  the neglected, abandoned and destitute widows.

Pradhan MantriAwaasYojana (PMAY-U): Under this scheme, central assistance is provided to  States/UTs  for  addressing the  housing  requirement  of  economically  Weaker  Sections (EWS) including slum dwellers in the urban areas.

Atal  Pension  Yojana  (APY): This  scheme  is  implemented  with  an  objective  to  create  a universal social security system for all, especially the poor, under privileged and workers in the unorganized sector. The scheme is open to all citizens of India between 18-40 years of age having a saving bank account in a bank or post office.

Integrated Programme for Older Persons : The objective of the Scheme is to improve the quality of life of the Senior Citizens, including women, by providing basic amenities like shelter, food, medical care and entertainment opportunities and by encouraging productive and active ageing  through  providing  support  for  capacity  building  of  State/  UT  Governments/NonGovernmental Organizations (NGOs)/Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)/ local bodies and the community at large.

Also,  the  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  under  the  three  Missions  namely, 'Mission Poshan' 2.0, 'Mission Shakti' and 'Mission Vatasalya' focuses towards betterment and empowerment of women and children.

The details of funds released to the States/UTs during the last five financial years and the current  financial  year  is  at Annexure-II. The State/UT-wise number of beneficiaries under Shakti Sadan is at Annexure-III.

*****

## Annexure-I

Annexure with regard to reply to Parts (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 201 for answer  on  02.02.2024  regarding  Schemes  for  Destitute  Women  asked  by  Shri  Gajanan Kirtikar, Hon'ble Member of Parliament (LS).

## Number of Widowed and Divorced Women in the Country*

| Female of all ages        | Female of all ages   | Female of all ages   |
|---------------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
|                           | Widowed              | Divorced             |
| ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS | 12525                | 279                  |
| ANDHRA PRADESH            | 4297481              | 66691                |
| ARUNACHAL PRADESH         | 31787                | 1189                 |
| ASSAM                     | 1156042              | 45722                |
| BIHAR                     | 2238793              | 14760                |
| CHANDIGARH                | 24496                | 863                  |
| CHHATTISGARH              | 973787               | 30871                |
| DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI      | 7378                 | 348                  |
| DAMAN & DIU               | 6816                 | 249                  |
| GOA                       | 77935                | 858                  |
| GUJARAT                   | 2015742              | 88753                |
| HARYANA                   | 773297               | 7720                 |
| HIMACHAL PRADESH          | 293475               | 4549                 |
| JAMMU & KASHMIR           | 283650               | 11081                |
| JHARKHAND                 | 1027878              | 12672                |
| KARNATAKA                 | 2989429              | 27959                |
| KERALA                    | 2010984              | 46856                |
| LAKSHADWEEP               | 2448                 | 296                  |
| MADHYA PRADESH            | 2160609              | 44272                |
| MAHARASHTRA               | 4520764              | 154274               |
| MANIPUR                   | 77990                | 4483                 |
| MEGHALAYA                 | 84825                | 7017                 |
| MIZORAM                   | 28569                | 11068                |
| NAGALAND                  | 39496                | 4150                 |
| NCT OF DELHI              | 456613               | 10805                |
| ODISHA                    | 1612627              | 29845                |
| PUDUCHERRY                | 73579                | 1060                 |
| PUNJAB                    | 928158               | 18471                |
| RAJASTHAN                 | 1983634              | 23758                |
| SIKKIM                    | 13717                | 676                  |
| TAMIL NADU                | 3856398              | 45185                |
| TRIPURA                   | 164969               | 6308                 |
| UTTAR PRADESH             | 4856188              | 56819                |
| UTTARAKHAND               | 387215               | 3922                 |
| WEST BENGAL               | 3792184              | 125744               |
| TOTAL                     | 43261478             | 909573               |

## Annexure II

Annexure with regard to reply to Parts (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 201 for answer  on  02.02.2024  regarding  Schemes  for  Destitute  Women  asked  by  Shri  Gajanan Kirtikar, Hon'ble Member of Parliament (LS).

## Shakti Sadan

Details of funds released to the States/UTs during the last five financial years and the current financial year

## (Rupees in lakhs)

| S. No.   | States/UTs               |   2018-19 |   2019-20 | 2020- 21   | 2021- 22   |   2022-23 |   2023-24* |
|----------|--------------------------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------|-----------|------------|
|          | Andhra Pradesh           |      0    |    190.93 | 0          | 0          |      0    |     146.97 |
|          | Assam                    |    152.6  |    143.51 | 0          | 0          |    138.6  |     646.23 |
|          | Andaman & Nicobar Island |      7.27 |      7.27 | 3.96       | 7.26       |      0    |       0    |
|          | Arunachal Pradesh        |     18.05 |      9.69 | 10.48      | 11.83      |      0    |       0    |
|          | Bihar                    |      0    |      0    | 0          | 0          |      0    |       0    |
|          | Chandigarh               |      6.64 |      7.99 | 8.45       | 0          |     26.82 |       0    |
|          | Chhattisgarh             |     30.25 |     22.95 | 22.89      | 20.75      |      0    |     100.61 |
|          | Delhi                    |     16.1  |     18.38 | 13.10      | 0          |      0    |      27.84 |
|          | Haryana                  |      3.39 |      0    | 0          | 0          |      0    |       0    |
|          | Goa                      |      0    |      0    | 0          | 2.68       |      0    |       0    |
|          | Gujarat                  |      0    |     18.31 | 15.26      | 0          |      0    |       0    |
|          | Himachal Pradesh         |      0    |      5.45 | 3.35       | 9.13       |      3.23 |      39.94 |
|          | Jharkhand                |      0    |     18.17 | 0          | 0          |      0    |       0    |
|          | Jammu & Kashmir          |     36.2  |     38.87 | 27.76      | 25.64      |      0    |      10.38 |
|          | Karnataka                |    274.35 |    221.67 | 301.31     | 639.98     |      0    |       0    |
|          | Kerala                   |     69.59 |     32.26 | 71.11      | 46.02      |      0    |      49.46 |
|          | Lakshadweep              |      0    |      0    | 0          | 0          |      0    |       0    |
|          | Madhya Pradesh           |     46.09 |    162.05 | 53.01      | 74.35      |     23.17 |     341.51 |
|          | Mizoram                  |     81.09 |     71.97 | 0          | 137.69     |      0    |       0    |
|          | Manipur                  |    424.3  |    267.08 | 313.74     | 0          |   1062.38 |       0    |
|          | Meghalaya                |      0    |      0    | 36.36      | 20.74      |      0    |       0    |
|          | Nagaland                 |     25.69 |     13.08 | 0          | 0          |      0    |       0    |
|          | Odisha                   |    456.79 |    286.73 | 642.96     | 473.83     |    132.38 |     246.1  |
|          | Punjab                   |      8    |      9.58 | -          | -          |      0    |       0    |
|          | Puducherry               |     20.06 |      7.99 | 21.17      | 10.80      |      0    |       0    |
|          | Rajasthan                |      0    |     87.19 | -          | -          |      0    |       0    |
|          | Sikkim                   |      6.72 |     10.64 | 10.47      | 10.65      |      0    |       4.09 |
|          | Tamil Nadu               |    409.75 |    160.12 | 432.35     | 0          |      0    |     445.87 |
|          | Telangana                |    116.09 |    299.16 | 205.26     | 0          |      0    |     156.97 |
|          | Tripura                  |     46.23 |     26.17 | 84.60      | 49.28      |      0    |       0    |
|          | Uttar Pradesh            |      0    |      0    | 100.41     | 90.20      |    158.25 |       0    |
|          | Uttrakhand               |      0    |      0    | 0          | 0          |      0    |       0    |
|          | West Bengal              |      0    |      0    | 155.67     | 218.84     |      0    |     720.35 |

## Annexure III

Annexure with regard to reply to Parts (c) to (e) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 201 for answer  on  02.02.2024  regarding  Schemes  for  Destitute  Women  asked  by  Shri  Gajanan Kirtikar, Hon'ble Member of Parliament (LS).

## Shakti Sadan

## Number of Beneficiaries

| S. No.   | State/UT                   |   2018-19 |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |   2021-22 |   2022-23* |
|----------|----------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------|
| 1        | Andaman and Nicobar Island |         0 |         8 |         9 |         9 |          3 |
| 2        | Andhra Pradesh             |       780 |       901 |       433 |       438 |        564 |
| 3.       | Arunachal Pradesh          |        30 |        16 |        22 |        22 |         24 |
| 4        | Assam                      |       510 |       510 |       242 |       242 |        588 |
| 5        | Bihar                      |         0 |         0 |         0 |         0 |          0 |
| 6        | Chandigarh                 |        30 |        17 |         8 |        11 |         10 |
| 7        | Chhattisgarh               |        90 |        84 |        46 |        52 |         38 |
| 8        | Delhi                      |        60 |        33 |        41 |        41 |         59 |
| 9        | Goa                        |         0 |         0 |         0 |         0 |         44 |
| 10       | Gujarat                    |       120 |       120 |       117 |       117 |        121 |
| 11       | Haryana                    |        30 |         0 |         0 |         0 |          0 |
| 12       | Himachal Pradesh           |         1 |         0 |         9 |         9 |         18 |
| 13       | Jammu & Kashmir            |        90 |       160 |        27 |        27 |         46 |
| 14       | Jharkhand                  |        90 |        14 |        18 |        18 |         79 |
| 15       | Karnataka                  |      1380 |      1383 |      1462 |      1445 |       1928 |
| 16       | Kerala                     |       210 |       473 |       165 |       165 |        162 |
| 17       | Madhya Pradesh             |       240 |       240 |       273 |       273 |        347 |
| 18       | Maharashtra                |      1500 |      1500 |       126 |       126 |        257 |
| 19       | Manipur                    |       690 |       664 |       431 |       431 |       1385 |
| 20       | Mizoram                    |       330 |       112 |        90 |        88 |        125 |
| 21       | Meghalaya                  |        60 |        60 |        15 |        15 |        265 |
| 22       | Nagaland                   |        60 |        60 |        34 |        34 |         23 |
| 23       | Odisha                     |      2340 |      2340 |      1667 |      1667 |       1950 |
| 24       | Puducherry                 |        30 |        30 |        10 |        10 |          0 |
| 25       | Punjab                     |        60 |        30 |        34 |        34 |         24 |
| 26       | Rajasthan                  |       180 |       180 |        18 |       203 |        187 |
| 27       | Sikkim                     |        30 |        22 |       864 |        18 |         17 |
| 28       | Tamil Nadu                 |      1050 |      1050 |       389 |       864 |        967 |
| 29       | Telangana                  |       570 |       831 |        64 |       389 |        423 |
| 30       | Tripura                    |       120 |       120 |       344 |        64 |         83 |
| 31       | Uttar Pradesh              |       390 |       390 |         0 |       342 |        385 |
| 32       | Uttarakhand                |       120 |       120 |       806 |         0 |         17 |
| 33       | West Bengal                |      1440 |      1440 |        64 |       802 |        816 |
|          | Total                      |     12638 |     12908 |      7828 |      7956 |      10955 |

*known as Shakti Sadan w. e. f.  01.04.2022

*****