Mahila Samridhi Yojana — ₹1 Lakh Loan for Women Safai Karamcharis in Haryana — Frequently Asked Questions

Women who live permanently in Haryana and are aged between 18 and 55 can apply. Beyond that, the deciding factor is status: you must be a woman Safai Karamchari, or the dependent daughter of a Safai Karamchari. You will need a certificate from the designated government officials confirming that status. The scheme counts any person who does sanitation work, or is employed for it, as a permanent Safai Karamchari, and their dependents are covered by the same definition.

The loan ceiling is ₹1,00,000 per unit. On top of that, HSFDC puts in 10% of the project cost as margin money, and if you are living below the poverty line you can also receive a subsidy of up to ₹10,000, which is 50% of the total project cost.

The loan carries interest of 4% per annum. There is a moratorium of 120 days before principal recovery and installment payments begin, after which installments are collected every 30 days. A payment that is more than 30 days overdue attracts penal interest of 4% per annum.

No. This is a debt scheme, so HSFDC recovers the loan amount along with 4% annual interest and takes no stake in your venture. Beneficiaries living below the poverty line additionally receive a subsidy of up to ₹10,000 towards the project cost.

The scheme is meant for micro-enterprises. Among the activities it names are cloth shops, dairies, tea shops, bangle shops, beauty parlours, papad-making units, basketry and tailoring shops — small, self-run ventures of that sort.

No. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, so there is no deadline you have to meet. You can register and submit at any point in the year.

Neither appears among the scheme's stated requirements. What the eligibility criteria do call for is a certificate of Safai Karamchari status, or of dependent status, issued by the designated government officials, along with the personal details you supply during registration.

During registration you provide personal details including your name, Aadhaar number, email address and mobile number. You must also produce a certificate of Safai Karamchari status, or of being a dependent of a Safai Karamchari, issued by the designated government officials. The application form asks for the remaining supporting documents to be uploaded as specified on the portal, together with the details of the project you are proposing.

There are two routes. On the HSFDC website, open the 'NSKFDC Assisted Scheme' section and click 'Apply for Loan' to register; after OTP verification you fill in the form and upload your documents, then log back in, review your profile and click 'Final Submit'. Alternatively, register on the Antyodaya-SARAL portal, log in, choose 'Apply for Services' followed by 'View all Available Services', search for 'Mahila Samridhi Yojana' and submit the form there.

Applications are first scrutinised by the concerned District Manager, who verifies eligibility, genuineness and the proposed project, and are then forwarded to NSKFDC for final sanction. If the loan is approved, a sanction letter is issued to you. You can also track your application on the Antyodaya-SARAL portal by entering the Department Name, Scheme Name and your Application Reference ID.

Mahila Samridhi Yojana — ₹1 Lakh Loan for Women Safai Karamcharis in Haryana is offered by Haryana Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation, a government body. It is provided as non-dilutive funding.