Govt to discontinue entrepreneurship program for women: WCD

The government has decided to discontinue the Support to Training and Employment Programme, a scheme to help women in entrepreneurship and get employment, the Women and Child Development Ministry told the Rajya Sabha. Responding to a question, WCD Minister Smriti Irani said the Expenditure Finance Committee recommended for dropping of STEP Scheme as its objective was similar to that of the skilling and training program imparted under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship which has sufficient budget to meet the needs of different categories of people, including women.

"Therefore, overlapping of schemes and duplication of cost need to be avoided. It was extended up to March 31, 2019, to clear past/committed liabilities and thereafter STEP is discontinued," she said. According to the data given by her, a total of 64,325 people have been benefitted by the program from 2014-17.