Guwahati, July 18 (IANS) Assam Skill Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship Minister Bimal Borah has said that the Chief Minister’s Atmanirbhar Asom Abhiyan has been designed to create a robust entrepreneurship ecosystem by providing financial assistance, training and continuous mentoring to aspiring entrepreneurs across the state.
Speaking to reporters here, Borah on Friday added that the flagship scheme, launched on September 23, 2023, seeks to transform unemployed youth into successful entrepreneurs by combining financial support with skill development and business guidance.
He said that in the first phase, the state government extended financial assistance to more than 25,000 beneficiaries from the general category and more than 200 professionals, including doctors, engineers, pharmacists, chartered accountants and MBA graduates.
According to the Minister, after disbursing the initial financial assistance, the state government carried out an extensive field assessment through nearly 100 Chief Minister’s Fellows.
The fellows evaluated whether beneficiaries had properly utilised the funds, assessed the progress of their enterprises and identified areas where additional mentoring was required.
Based on the evaluation, around 12,331 entrepreneurs were found eligible to receive the next phase of financial assistance.
Borah said the state government has now selected 74,694 beneficiaries under the second phase of the scheme. Of them, 74,350 belong to the general category while 344 are professionals.
He added that all selected beneficiaries have already received the first instalment of Rs 75,000.
The Minister said district-level entrepreneurship development programmes are currently being organised across Assam, with training tailored to the beneficiaries’ proposed business activities.
Various departments, including Agriculture and Handloom, are imparting sector-specific skills, while participants are also being trained in accounting, financial discipline and business management.
The training programmes are expected to conclude by July 31.
Following successful completion of the training and other formalities, eligible beneficiaries will receive the remaining financial assistance under the scheme, Borah said.
He added that the initiative reflects the state government’s long-term strategy to promote self-employment and generate sustainable livelihood opportunities across Assam.
–IANS
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