The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in its budget presented on Thursday, March 2, announced a welfare scheme for women working in unorganised sectors. The scheme, named ‘Savithri Vasathi,’ is proposed to be implemented in 2023-2024 and will provide PG accommodation to working women. The scheme was announced by BBMP Special Commissioner (Finance) Jayaram Raipura.
An amount of Rs 24 crore has been allocated for the scheme under which eight hostels will be constructed in eight BBMP zones in the city. The scheme will provide 50% reservation in accommodation for women from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes categories. Preference will also be given to women with special needs or intellectual disabilities, widows and divorced women.
During the presentation of the 2023-24 state Budget, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had also announced a few plans aimed at women's welfare. Construction of 250 ‘She Toilets’ across the city was announced, with the stated aim of improving sanitation facilities for women. CM Bommai said that the ‘She Toilets’ will be built in heavily populated areas such as markets and commercial complexes.
The Chief Minister had also unveiled another new programme called ‘Shrama Shakthi,’ which uses direct benefit transfers (DBT) to grant landless female agricultural labourers a monetary assistance of Rs 500 per head per month. The ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ programme, which was introduced in January by All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Priyanka Gandhi ahead of the Karnataka 2023 elections, had offered financial aid of Rs 2,000 per month to the woman head of every household. A programme to give families living below the poverty line up to Rs 3,000 per month was then launched by the Bommai-led BJP government.