CHENNAI: Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu on Friday, in his budget for 2025-26, announced two major initiatives for women — elevating one lakh women as entrepreneurs in the next five years by upskilling them and reducing the registration fee for immovable assets valued up to Rs 10 lakh by 1%.
The minister said that with the aim of further increasing women's participation in Tamil Nadu's economic development, a major initiative to elevate one lakh women as entrepreneurs in the next five years will be undertaken.
“Under this scheme, women will receive skill development training and entrepreneurial guidance to establish various enterprises, with access to bank loans of up to Rs 10 lakh, along with a 20 percent subsidy. For this scheme, an allocation of Rs 225 crore has been made in the financial year 2025-26," he said.
“To ensure an equal place for women not just in society but also within their families, the registration fee for all immovable assets, including houses, plots, and agricultural lands, valued up to Rs 10 lakh will be reduced by one per cent when registered in the name of women, from 1 April 2025. Around 75 percent of the current registrations will be eligible to avail of this concession. Through this initiative, the government strongly believes that women's self-reliance and financial independence will be further strengthened,” the minister added.
The minister also said that necessary steps will be taken soon to include more women beneficiaries who are not covered under the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai (KMUT) scheme, through which women from eligible households receive a monthly cash aid of Rs 1,000. As of now, around 1.15 crore women are covered under this scheme.
To safeguard women's welfare, the government is implementing various pioneering schemes, such as Self-Help Groups, Vidiyal Payanam, Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam, Pudhumai Penn, and Thozhi working women's hostels, which have received widespread acclaim across the nation, the minister said.