Cabinet approves expansion of Mahila Samkhya Programme

New Delhi, Apr 11 (UNI) The continuation and expansion of the Mahila Samkhya Programme in the 11th Plan with an outlay of Rs 210.00 crore was today approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.

The expenditure will be shared by the Department for International Development(DIFD) of UK and the government on 90:10 basis, Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Kapil Sibal told newspersons while briefing them about the Cabinet meeting.

The total DFID commitment is for an amount of 35 million pound sterling and will be disbursed from 2007-08 at the rate of five million pound sterling per year.

The programme will continue in nine states and expand to more states and 58-60 additional districts in the 11th plan period.

A substantive expansion of the scheme to cover additional states/districts with educationally backward blocks would yield positive results, both for women empowerment and girls' education.

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