With polls at door, BMC woos women

With an eye on the forthcoming civic elections, the civic body has decided to move a proposal to provide self-employment training to underprivileged women.

According to sources, the civic body had allocated Rs1.5 crore towards this proposal earlier this year. The proposal included around 15 different categories for training, such as sewing, cosmetics, fashion designing, cooking, artificial ornaments, and basic computer and hardware.

Apart from women below the poverty line, those whose annual income is less than sixty thousand will also be benefited from this programme. The training will be run by Khadi Gram Udyog (KGU) and organised by the Women and Child Welfare committee at CB Kora Institute of Village Industries, Borivali. The proposal is likely to be tabled in the standing committee on Friday.

“This is the first time we have planned such a training programme for women empowerment, and we’re expecting to get a sanction on Friday. If it is sanctioned, we can immediately begin to conduct the programme, as the code of conduct for the civic elections will be enforced anytime now,” said Bharati Keni, chairperson of the Women and Child Welfare committee.

In its first phase, around 2500 women will be benefited, and certificates will be issued to them by the KGU, she added.