Information's - Career Corner

BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER DIFFERENT SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEMES
Index :
Udiyaman Swanirbhar Karmasansthan Prakalpa (USKP)” 2008
Bangla Swanirbhar Karmasansthan Prakalpa (B.S.K.P)
Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP)
Self Employment Schemes under West Bengal Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (WBMDFC.)
Swarna-Jayanti Sahari Rojgar Yojana (SJSRY)
Swarna-Jayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY)
Special Component Plan (SCP) and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP)
 
Swarna-Jayanti Sahari Rojgar Yojana (SJSRY)
Objective:
The Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) was launched on 01.12.1997 after subsuming the earlier three schemes for urban poverty alleviation, namely Nehru Rozgar Yojana (NRY), Urban Basic Services for the Poor (UBSP), and Prime Minister's Integrated Urban Poverty Eradication Programme (PMIUPEP). The key objective of the Scheme was to provide gainful employment to the urban unemployed or underemployed through the setting up of self-employment ventures or provision of wage employment. it also provides supporting skill development and training programmes to enable the urban poor have access to employment opportunities opened up by the market or undertake self-employment; and the target population under SJSRY is the urban poor - those living below the poverty line, as defined by the Planning Commission from time to time.
Components :
SJSRY will have five major components, namely
(i) Urban Self Employment Programme (USEP)
(ii) Urban Women Self-help Programme (UWSP)
(iii) Skill Training for Employment Promotion amongst Urban Poor (STEP-UP)
(iv) Urban Wage Employment Programme (UWEP)
(v) Urban Community Development Network (UCDN)
Urban Self Employment Programme (USEP) :
This Component will be having two sub-components:
(i) Assistance to individual urban poor beneficiaries for setting up gainful self-employment ventures [Loan & Subsidy]
(ii) Technology/marketing/infrastructure/knowledge & other support provided to the urban poor in setting up their enterprises as well as marketing their products [Technology, Marketing & Other Support]..
Eligibility :
USEP will target the urban population below poverty line, as defined by the Planning Commission from time to time. It will lay special focus on women, persons belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC) / Scheduled Tribes (ST), physically challanged persons and such other categories as may be indicated by the Government from time to time. The percentage of women beneficiaries under USEP shall not be less than 30%. SCs and STs must be benefited at least to the extent of the proportion of their strength in the city / town population below poverty line (BPL). A special provision of 3% reservation in the total number of beneficiaries should be made for the physically challanged persons under USEP. In view of the Prime Minister's New 15-Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities, 15% of the physical and financial targets under the Urban Self Employment Programme at the national level shall be earmarked for the minority communities.

No minimum or maximum educational qualification is prescribed for selection of beneficiaries under USEP. Where the identified activity for microenterprise development requires skill training of an appropriate level, the same will be provided to the beneficiaries before extending financial support.
Beneficiary Identification :
A house-to-house survey for identification of genuine beneficiaries, with focus on slums and low-income settlements, will need to be conducted. Model Formats for conduct of slum survey, household survey and livelihoods survey and guidelines will be communicated by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation. In addition to the economic criteria of the Urban Poverty Line, noneconomic parameters will also be applied to identify the urban poor for receiving benefits under SJSRY.
Loan Amount :
The details of financing pattern under USEP are as follows :
• Maximum allowable unit project cost - Rs.200,000/-
• Maximum allowable subsidy - 25% of the Project Cost subject to a maximum of Rs.50,000/-
• Beneficiary contribution - 5% of the project cost as margin money
• Collateral - No Collateral required
In case a number of beneficiaries decide to jointly set up a project, such project shall be eligible for a subsidy which will be equal to the total permitted subsidy per person as per the above criteria. In this case too the provision of 5% margin money per beneficiary will apply.

Skill development through appropriate training is another element of this programme. It is intended to provide training in a variety of service and manufacturing trades as well as local skills and local crafts so that the beneficiaries can set up self-employment ventures or secure salaried employment with higher remuneration.

There is sub-scheme under this scheme called “development of women and children in urban areas” which extends special incentives to urban poor women who decide to set up self-employment ventures in a group. To be eligible for subsidy under this scheme the group should consist of at least 10 urban poor women. The group society shall be entitled to a subsidy of Rs. 1,25,000/- or 50% of the cost of project, whichever is less.
Beneficiary Identification :
A house-to-house survey for identification of genuine beneficiaries, with focus on slums and low-income settlements, will need to be conducted. Model Formats for conduct of slum survey, household survey and livelihoods survey and guidelines will be communicated by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation. In addition to the economic criteria of the Urban Poverty Line, noneconomic parameters will also be applied to identify the urban poor for receiving benefits under SJSRY.
Loan Amount :
The details of financing pattern under USEP are as follows :
• Maximum allowable unit project cost - Rs.200,000/-
• Maximum allowable subsidy - 25% of the Project Cost subject to a maximum of Rs.50,000/-
• Beneficiary contribution - 5% of the project cost as margin money
• Collateral - No Collateral required
In case a number of beneficiaries decide to jointly set up a project, such project shall be eligible for a subsidy which will be equal to the total permitted subsidy per person as per the above criteria. In this case too the provision of 5% margin money per beneficiary will apply.

Skill development through appropriate training is another element of this programme. It is intended to provide training in a variety of service and manufacturing trades as well as local skills and local crafts so that the beneficiaries can set up self-employment ventures or secure salaried employment with higher remuneration.

There is sub-scheme under this scheme called “development of women and children in urban areas” which extends special incentives to urban poor women who decide to set up self-employment ventures in a group. To be eligible for subsidy under this scheme the group should consist of at least 10 urban poor women. The group society shall be entitled to a subsidy of Rs. 1,25,000/- or 50% of the cost of project, whichever is less.
Urban Self Employment Programme (Loan & Subsidy) :
This component of SJSRY focuses on providing assistance to individual urban poor beneficiaries for setting up gainful self-employment ventures - micro-enterprises.
Coverage :
The programme will be applicable to all cities and towns on a whole town basis. Within each town, it will be implemented by selecting whole clusters of the poor segments so as to bring in efficiencies in the administration and the delivery mechanisms and also make the impact visible.
Funding Pattern :
The details of financing pattern under USEP are as follows
Maximum allowable unit project cost - Rs.200,000/-
Maximum allowable subsidy - 25% of the Project Cost subject to a maximum of Rs. 50,000/-.
Beneficiary contribution - 5% of the project cost as margin money.
Collateral - No Collateral required.
Urban women self-help programme (UWSP) :
This Component will be having two sub-components:
(i). Assistance to groups of urban poor women for setting up gainful self-employment ventures - UWSP (Loan & Subsidy)
(ii). Revolving Funds for Self-Help Groups (SHGs) / Thrift & Credit Societies (T&CSs) formed by the urban poor women – UWSP (Revolving Fund).
Urban Women Self-Help Programme (Loan & Subsidy) :
This scheme is distinguished by the special incentive extended to urban poor women who decide to set up self-employment ventures in a group as opposed to individual effort. Groups of urban poor women may take up an economic activity suited to their skill, training, aptitude, and local conditions.
The Urban Wage Employment Programme :
This programme seeks to provide wage employment to beneficiaries living below poverty line by utilizing their labour for construction of socially and economically useful public assets. This programme applies to urban local bodies the population of which was less than 5 lakhs as per 1991 census. The prevailing minimum wage rate, as notified from time to time for each area, shall be paid to beneficiaries under this programme. No educational qualification is required for the scheme.
Urban community development network (UCDN) - community structures, community development & empowerment :
SJSRY shall rest on the foundation of community development and empowerment. Rather than relying on the traditional method of top-down implementation, the Scheme shall rely on establishing and nurturing community organizations and structures that facilitate sustained urban poverty alleviation. Towards this end, community organizations like Neighbourhood Groups (NHGs), Neighbourhood Committees (NHCs), and Community Development Societies (CDSs) shall be set up in the target areas.

For details, the municipalities / corporation under the department of municipal affairs may be contacted.