In a significant decision aimed at empowering women through better financial support, the Board of Directors (BoD) of the Himachal Pradesh Mahila Vikas Nigam today approved an enhancement in loan limits during its 51st BoD meeting held in Shimla.
The education loan limit has been raised from ₹75,000 to ₹3 lakh, and the self-employment loan limit has been increased from ₹1 lakh to ₹3 lakh, under the self-employment scheme.
Chairing the meeting, Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil, Minister for Health, Family Welfare, Social Justice and Empowerment, stated that this substantial enhancement will encourage more women from economically weaker sections to benefit from the Nigam’s welfare schemes.
He also underlined the importance of well-planned and methodical awareness camps across the state.
“Such initiatives will play a key role in spreading awareness about the various welfare schemes and benefits available for women, especially those from financially disadvantaged backgrounds,” he said.
The Nigam, established on 10 April 1989, works with the core objective of social and economic upliftment of women, irrespective of caste, creed, or background. Currently, the Nigam provides:
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Education loans at 4% interest
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Self-employment loans at 6% interest
Only women with a family income of less than ₹1 lakh per annum are eligible for these benefits.
So far, the Nigam has disbursed over ₹69.36 crore in loans, benefiting 13,551 women. In addition, interest subsidies worth ₹2.64 crore have been extended to support beneficiaries.
The BoD also approved:
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The Annual Action Plan for the financial year 2025–26
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Audited balance sheets for the years 2021–22 and 2022–23
The meeting was attended by Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment, Ashish Singhmar, and other BoD members.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
