AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government has not availed a single rupee in the past three years under a central government scheme for empowerment of women farmers, the Rajya Sabha was informed.
The Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP) is a central government scheme which has been implemented by the Union ministry of rural development since 2011. Funds are allotted to states by the central government on the basis of demand made by various State Rural Livelihoods Missions (SRLM).
Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat Shaktisinh Gohil posed an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha, seeking to know what steps the government has been taking to empower women farmers. He also sought details of schemes meant for empowering women farmers and what steps the government has been taking to increase the participation of women farmers in the agriculture workforce.
In his written reply, Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar listed out the various schemes of the central government to promote women’s participation in farming activities. He also provided details of funds released to states under the MKSP over the past three years. Gujarat is among eleven states of the country which have not availed a single rupee under the MKSP.
