Cabinet announces special package of Rs 520 crore for J&K and Ladakh

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on wednesday approved special package worth Rs 520 crore rupees for Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh for a period of 5 years till 2023-24 under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission.

Addressing a press conference after the cabinet meeting, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said that 10.58 lakh women will get benefit from the special package Rs 520 crore in the next five years.

“The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission is very popular throughout the country. But for technical reasons in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, very few women were identified and were eligible,” he said.

“So, now the criteria has been changed for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, and two-thirds of the rural population has been covered. Rs 10.58 lakh women will get benefit from the special package of Rs 520 crores in the next five years,” he added.

Javadekar said that there are 66 lakh self-help groups and seven crore women are their members in India.

He said, it is also in line with Central Government’s aim to universalize all centrally sponsored beneficiary-oriented schemes in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in a time bound manner.

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission is a centrally sponsored programme that aims at eliminating rural poverty through promotion of multiple livelihoods for the rural poor households across the country.