From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Sep 21: Udyogini, a pioneering government scheme aimed at promoting entrepreneurship among poor women in Karnataka, is being used by politicians to promote their electoral base even as men folk call the shots in ventures of beneficiaries, a new study has revealed.

Political leaders were using the scheme in many districts, to build up their local 'vote-bank,’ exerting a lot of pressure on officials to identify candidates of their choice for benefits under the Udyogini scheme, which is aimed at bringing out the skill and talent among women as owners and managers of economic assets and thereby access improve livelihoods.

Udyogini is a programme spearheaded by the Women Development Corporation (WDC) functioning under the aegis of Karnataka’s Department of Women and Child Development to help women don entrepreneurship roles with bank credit that have government subsidy component and engage in income-generating activities.

The study, conducted by Prof K G Gayathridevi and Prof S Erappa at the Bangalore-based think-tank of the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), to understand the positive and negative aspects of this popular credit linked employment generation programme, threw up interesting findings.

Carried out in eight districts and 23 taluks, the study covering different regions with the beneficiaries coming from different caste, religious and class backgrounds, found that all decisions about the enterprise are still taken by male members of the family of the beneficiaries and it was the husband-father-son who managed the entire process in 99 per cent of the cases.

''All decisions about the enterprise are taken by male members, no doubt,” said Prof.Gayathridevi and Prof Erappa. ''Yet, there is visibly better recognition of the women’s identity since only they could become beneficiaries.”

However, the data also showed that more than new enterprises being created, women (or rather their husbands) have utilised the loan amount to upgrade an existing unit/activity.

It is also true that members of poor and backward house-holds were not forthcoming for availing these loans as interest rates of public sector banks are ‘high’ and there were strict rules for repayment.

While the scheme was perceived by the women to be highly useful to them, it is clear that there is a need to improve the method of identifying the really poor based on income and other economic criterion as the programme, which has become a house-hold name, has failed to reach them.

''Suitable beneficiaries from among widows and deserted women who are in need of economic support have to be identified,” the study said.

The total loan sanctioned to each beneficiary ranged from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 but most of them have insisted that the amount is not enough in the face of the rising cost of materials and sought its enhancement to Rs 50,000 to Rs one lakh, with like-wise increase in the subsidy component.

The study suggested creation of appropriate marketing outlets for the products that are produced by the beneficiaries, and as far as possible ‘women only’ type of activities such as beedi rolling, mat and broom making, weaving, pottery and leather that need loan support have to be promoted.

It was recommended that economic activities in which women applicants are already engaged in (either as family’s traditional occupations or out of long association with them due to availability of raw materials and market) should be encouraged.

More number of beneficiaries needs to be covered by the WDC, which should give preference to “socially-handicapped” women such as widows, deserted women in selection, even as there is a need to enhance subsidy component, the study advocated.