Bhubaneswar: In a move to empower women and make them self-reliant through employment, the Odisha government is set to launch a new scheme, namely 'Ama Subahaka Yojana'. The scheme aims to support women in becoming professional taxi drivers and entrepreneurs in the transport sector.

Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena said the programme has been approved by the state government. Over the next four years, around 1,100 women will receive financial assistance to buy cars that they can use as taxis.

Under the scheme, each beneficiary woman will be eligible for a bank loan of up to ₹10 lakh to purchase a car. The loan will be repayable in five years, while the state government will bear the interest burden at an annual rate of 11 per cent.

The scheme will be implemented in phases as 200 w

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