Having taken on the mantle of roadways’ bus drivers, the women of Uttar Pradesh are gearing up to drive e-auto rickshaws as well.

With a commitment to empowering women in the state with security, dignity, and self-sufficiency, the Yogi Adityanath Government is facilitating women’s participation in a self-employment-focused E-Rickshaw training initiative as part of Mission Shakti.

Through this, the government is not only providing free e-rickshaw training to women but also making arrangements for providing them with e-auto rickshaws along with driving licenses at affordable interest rates. Besides, a subsidy of up to Rs 50,000 is also being provided with e-rickshaws.

A total of 250 women from each district are being trained. With this government initiative, trained women drivers will now be seen driving high-quality e-rickshaws across the state. This will help them manage their income and curb road accidents.

UPICON MD Praveen Singh said here on Thursday, “The E-Rickshaw training program under the Mission Shakti scheme is being run by the MSME department and implemented by UPICON. The target is to train 1,000 women from each district. Training has been organized in two parts under Mission Shakti”.

He added, “In the first phase, six days of training was given to 56,200 women (750 per district), which included three days of training on safety, security, and self-defence related to women’s workplaces, and another three days of training in entrepreneurship development. ”

“In Phase 2, e-rickshaw training is being offered to 18,750 women, 250 women per district. The duration of self-employment-oriented training in the driving domain is six months. Women are being selected for training under the guidelines of the Mukhya Mantri Yuva Swarozgar Yojana. In this, 10th-pass women aged between 18 and 40 years are eligible. Also, they must have an Aadhaar and PAN card,” he further added.

He elaborated, saying, “This initiative focuses on creating livelihood opportunities. We aim to enroll 250 women per district under the Mukhya Mantri Yuva Swarozgar Yojana, offering orientation towards e-rickshaw self-employment. Following selection, women undergo comprehensive training, including classroom sessions covering e-rickshaw mechanics and traffic regulations, followed by practical lessons.

Additionally, they receive pink dresses for visibility, safety kits, and stationery sets. We also assist them in obtaining driver’s licenses through the Regional Transport Office (RTO) and guide them through the banking process to access loans facilitated by the Mukhya Mantri Yuva Swarozgar Yojana.”

Praveen Singh stated, “Within this initiative, the standard price for an e-rickshaw has been established at Rs 1.98 lakh. We’ve partnered with e-rickshaw manufacturers via the GeM portal to ensure the procurement of e-rickshaws equipped with top-quality lithium-ion batteries. Eligible women will receive a subsidy of Rs 49,500 under the scheme, and we aim to arrange financing for the remaining amount through a nationalized bank. We aim to facilitate women’s access to banking services and provide financial support.”

He further explained that the program commenced in November 2023 and operates in batches, training 250 women per district per batch. However, in districts showing higher potential, the number of participants may be increased accordingly.

This project aims to equip selected women candidates with essential skills and knowledge concerning women’s safety and security measures within society. It empowers them to assist other women in safe travel and serve as role models. Furthermore, it involves participation in initiatives aimed at promoting a secure environment for all women in society and encouraging entrepreneurship among them.