Mahila Coir Yojana (MCY) : Benefits, eligibility, application process

The Coir Industry, employing over 700,000 workers, mainly women, is labor-intensive and export-focused. Decentralized operations without proper training for spinners, weavers, and artisans in value-added product manufacturing posed quality challenges. This affected industry development and survival amid competition from synthetic substitutes and globalization. To address these issues, the Coir Board, which operates under the MSME ministry, initiated the Coir Vikas Yojana and, under this, added the Mahila Coir Yojana. These interventions aim to enhance product quality and support the industry's growth and competitiveness. How exactly? Let’s understand.

What is Coir Vikas Yojana?

Coir Vikas Yojana (CVY), operated by the Coir Board established by the Government of India, aims to revitalize the coir industry. The scheme targets the decentralized nature of the industry, aiming to standardize practices and improve product quality. CVY's objectives include providing training, fostering entrepreneurship, enhancing raw material utilization, supporting coir workers' welfare, and empowering women in the industry. Scheme highlights include the Mahila Coir Yojana, offering 75% subsidies on coir spinning equipment to promote gender inclusivity. CVY also emphasizes quality enhancement by educating workers on standardized production methods through skill upgradation measures.

What is MCY?

MCY full form stands for Mahila Coir Yojana scheme. It is a women-oriented self-employment program in the coir industry that provides opportunities for rural women artisans in coir-producing areas. The program facilitates the conversion of coir fiber into yarn using motorized spinning wheels in rural households, creating employment on a large scale, improving productivity and quality, enhancing working conditions, and boosting income. 

The Mahila Coir Yojana is implemented by the Government through the Coir Board under its Coir Vikas Yojana. Under the scheme, the Coir Board provides a one-time subsidy covering 75% of the cost for motorized spinning wheels, up to Rs.7,500 for motorized spinning wheels and Rs.3,200 for traditional and electronic spinning wheels.

Features of the Mahila Coir Yojana:

• The program aims to instill quality consciousness among grassroots workers, educating them on proper fiber and yarn production methods to meet industry standards. It also offers self-employment opportunities to rural women artisans. 
• The training program spans two months and is exclusively for women of all backgrounds.
• Trainees will receive a monthly stipend of Rs.1000. But if the training period is less than a month, the amount will be given on a pro-rata basis, as per the number of days and not the whole month’s amount.
• The Mahila Coir Yojana spans the main coir-producing regions, including Kerala, Telangana, Goa, Odisha, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Pondicherry, North-Eastern states, West Bengal, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andaman-Nicobar island and Tamil Nadu. 
• Women coir workers will undergo training on sophisticated machinery and advanced technology to enhance their skills under the Mahila Coir Yojana scheme.
• The Board has integrated the training under Mahila Coir Yojana with the Livelihood Business Incubator (LBI) to promote entrepreneurship among trainees.
• Upon completion of training, women will be encouraged to seek assistance under the Coir Vikas Yojana (CVY), which has been merged with the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), to start businesses or set up units.
• The Coir Board will provide year-wise targets and field officer support to help artisans access PMEGP benefits, including procuring machines and equipment with project costs up to Rs.25 lakhs.
• The MCY initiative focuses on training supervisors, instructors, and artisans to meet industry demands and transfer technology to new areas.
• MCY-trained artisans will receive support obtaining spinning equipment and coir processing machinery through PMEGP.

Benefits of the scheme:

• Economic Empowerment: Women's participation in the coir industry can boost economic growth. With proper training and resources, they can become entrepreneurs, producers, and artisans, contributing to local economies.
• Social Empowerment: Women's involvement challenges traditional gender norms, offering greater autonomy and decision-making power. Participation in coir production enhances their social status and economic opportunities.
• Environmental Empowerment: Women's engagement promotes sustainable practices. Their knowledge ensures ecologically sound coir production, benefiting industry and the environment.

The MCY has been monitored regularly, and the implementation has reaped the targetted benefits. As per the data, 740 women have benefitted from the Mahila Coir Yojana across India. Of the trained 740, 33 were absorbed by the coir production units. Moreover, out of the total outlay of Rs.234 Lakhs for the yojana in 2022-23, Rs.92.96 Lakhs was released towards the payment of 740 beneficiaries. In 2020, the Coir Board conducted an assessment revealing that rural women's income rose notably after receiving training through MCY. This training increased coir production, empowering women spinners to earn more. 

Steps to get the machinery under the MCY scheme:

1. Prepare the necessary records showing machinery cost, specifications, sanctioned amount details, and subsidy amount under the scheme to show it to the authorized officer.
2. Open a separate bank account for MCY transactions.
3. Open a post office or scheduled bank account in the region to deposit the beneficiary's contribution. The beneficiary's checkbook and passbook will be kept in the Board's office.
4. Ensure the motors or machinery spares the manufacturer supplies to you meet BIS specifications.
5. As a beneficiary, you must deposit your contribution (the remaining 25% of the amount) into the separately created account. 
6. The RO/Sub-RO will then collect proof of this deposit and the invoice for the chosen machinery for auditing purposes. 
7. The RO/SRO will then request the release of the subsidy from the Head Office based on these details.
8. Upon receiving subsidy sanction and amount, manufacturers supply the machinery. Coir Board officials then inspect for quality and standards approval.
9. After inspection, you must obtain the beneficiary's performance certificate/receipt, and then the officials will release the subsidy for the machinery cost. 
10. The manufacturer will receive payment directly from the beneficiary via account payee cheque, demand draft (DD), or online transfer. The Board will supply machinery within two months after training completion. The Regional Office/Sub-RO will forward expenditure and utilization details to the Head Office for settlement.
11. A committee that includes regional officers, a joint director, CCRI/CICT, and the board's accounts officer reviews machinery costs for approval by the board's chairman.

Conditions to avail of the scheme:

• Under the MCY scheme, each candidate will receive only one MR/MTR/Electronic Ratt and other specified machinery or equipment. These items will be allocated exclusively to individuals who have completed the required training and passed successfully.
• Beneficiaries selected under this scheme are prohibited from mortgaging the MR/MTR/Electronic Ratt and associated equipment except to the financing agency or other institutions that provide loans or grants for machinery procurement.
• To apply, the candidate himself or the sponsoring agency must submit the candidate's details, including full address and two recent passport-size photographs, along with proof of identity such as an Election ID Card, Ration Card, Aadhar Card, PAN Card, or a Certificate of Identification from an authorized Government Agency, SC/ST/PWD.
• In all cases, the Election ID Card is mandatory, and exceptions for alternative forms of ID will be considered only under exceptional circumstances.

Conclusion:

The Coir Board and Mahila Coir Yojana offer skill development and self-employment to artisans and rural women in the coir industry. The Yojana empowers women through training and business support and equips them with the know-how of modern machinery. These programs aim to enhance productivity, working conditions, and income for those in the coir industry, ultimately raising their standard of living. Overall, they seek to strengthen India's coir industry by developing a skilled workforce. 

FAQs:

Q1. What will be the scope of training under the program?

Ans. Training is offered in coir-producing regions, emphasizing spinning, weaving, and rural fieldwork. The program includes unit repair and maintenance instruction.

Q2. Who can avail of the subsidy under the Mahila Coir Yojana?

Ans. Any women who complete the training can access MCY scheme subsidies. However, the priority is for rural women to enhance sector involvement.

Q3. How are trainees selected for the program?

Ans. Trainees for in-house training at NCT&DC (National Coir Training and Design Centre) are chosen via applications from ads in print/electronic media or recommendations from coir-producing State authorities. Regional Extension Centre trainee selection is handled by the center's officer-in-charge, who sponsors candidates via trade associations, unit owners, Industries Department, NGOs, Co-operatives, etc.