Bhubaneswar, Aug 14: In an effort to empower women and promote self-reliance through employment, the Odisha government is preparing to launch a new initiative titled ‘Ama Subahaka Yojana.’ The programme is designed to help women become professional taxi drivers and entrepreneurs in the transport sector.

Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena announced that the state government has approved the scheme, which aims to provide financial support to about 1,100 women over the next four years for purchasing cars to operate as taxis.

Under the initiative, each beneficiary will be eligible for a bank loan of up to ₹10 lakh to buy a vehicle. The loan will have a repayment period of five years, with the state government covering the 11% annual interest cost.

The scheme will be rolled out in stages — 200 women will receive vehicles in the first year, followed by 250 in the second, 300 in the third, and 350 in the fourth year.

Encouraging eco-friendly transportation, the government will offer an additional ₹2 lakh incentive to women who opt to purchase electric vehicles (EVs). The scheme will be open to women between 21 and 40 years of age.

So far, 6,216 women have successfully completed driving training across four Driving Training and Research Institutes in Odisha.

Minister Jena stated that the new scheme will provide these trained women with an opportunity to achieve financial independence and sustainable livelihoods.