Swawlamban Scheme West Bengal

Swawlamban is a State sponsored scheme for socially distressed women and girls including transgender , trafficked victims , sex workers and women in moral danger of the age group of 18-35 years through which vocational training is imparted in collaboration with NGOs. This scheme emphasizes economic empowerment of socially marginalized women with special emphasis on those who are vulnerable to immoral trafficking.

Objectives of Swawlamban Scheme

The scheme has been observing the following broad objectives –

1. Developing skill leading to generating of income of the women & girls in crisis situation and from the under privileged section of the society ensuring economic participation of women and transgender in the family.

2. Providing ‘Entrepreneurship development training’ for making them capable for taking up bankable projects after the training.

3. Influencing small & cottage entrepreneurship with a motive to create viable markets in the domestic as well as overseas.

4. Converging different facilities available with the Local Government for all round development of the women & girls.

5. Creating scope for alternative source of employment to women & girls in tribal areas, closed tea gardens, hills, islands and slums without any overlapping of similar programme. 

Coverage of Swawlamban Scheme

1. The scope of the scheme will be in any rural & urban areas within the jurisdiction of the state of West Bengal .

2. The scheme will be implemented by selected NGOs as per criteria, profit making companies registered under Company”s Act and recommendation by the District Authority

3. The socially distressed Women & girls including Transgender of the age group of 18-35 yrs. are to be covered in the programme; traffic victims, potential traffic victims, sex workers and women in moral danger be given priority and if necessary the upper age limit for such category of women be relaxed up to 45 years.

4. The proposed beneficiaries are to be selected in consultation with BDO/SDO/DSWO/ADM and a list to be submitted duly signed by them after the project is sanctioned.

5. Minorities will be given top most priority and twelve(12) such priority districts will see the most viable & feasible projects .

6. Indigenous and traditional trades will be opted for undertaking such training programme depending on the nature of availability of raw-materials & scope for marketing of finished products.

Documents Required

1. Whether the NGO/Company is registered under the Societies Registration Act/Under Companies Act to ROC. Registration certificate along with the copy of the renewal receipt in regard to the renewal of registration has been furnished.

2. Whether the NGO/Company has completed three years of registration. Registration certificate to be submitted.

3. Whether the NGO/Company has obtained certified/true copy of the Memorandum of Association & Bye-laws/Approval of Board.

4. Whether Objective of ‘Vocational Training’ has been incorporated in the certified copy of Memorandum/Board Meeting.

5. Whether the NGO/Company has developed three years annual report.

6. Whether details of Registered Office & Project Site Office with Bank details of the project site has been submitted.

7. Whether the NGO/Company has obtained audited Balance sheet (Receipt-Payment, Income- Expenditure, and Assets-Liabilities) for the last three financial years.

8. Whether application in the prescribed format for the project has been submitted.

9. Whether the NGO/Company has the financial capacity to undertake the programme (Surplus budget with utilization of other Govt. Grants).

10. Whether the NGO/Company has resolved in the G.B./Board meeting to take up the project for this training program.

11. Whether Rent Agreement in Rs.20/- Stamp paper has been submitted duly executed.

12. Whether syllabus of proposed training (approved syllabus of DIC or DRDC or TRYSEM or similar nature) has been furnished.

13. Whether bio-data and certificate of training & experience of at least two trainers/instructors have been furnished.

14. Whether Quotations from Dealers/Agents/Sub dealers etc. in support of NR items to be purchased have been submitted.

15. Whether audited statement & utilization certificate in respect of any Swawlamban projects implemented earlier have been submitted.

16. Whether post training employment status report verified by the District Authority in respect of any Swawlamban projects implemented earlier have been submitted.

17. Whether the NGO has one-third women members in the Governing Body/Executive Committee/Managing Committee (applicable as per Bye-laws of the NGO). Whether the Company has at least one Women Board Member.

18. Whether the NGO/Company has been inspected by any functionary of the Department of W& CD and SW, Govt. of W.B. or WBWDU. Report to be submitted.

Mode of Implementation

Steps to be followed from selection of projects to completion –

a) Eligible & interested NGOs/Companies may submit an intent letter along with application in prescribed format (without any list of trainees but with other NGO/company related supporting documents) applying for assistance to implement the scheme in blocks or municipal areas to the Office of District Magistrate (Social Welfare Section) and to the Office of the WB WDU at Nirman Bhavan, Ground Floor, Salt Lake City, Kolkata – 91 for Kolkata District. DSWO of the District has been declared District Manager for WB WDU.

b) Selection of NGOs/Companies at districts (except Kolkata) will be done by the District Magistrate of the concerned district on the basis of recommendation from the concerned BDOs / SDOs & DSWOs and that in Kolkata District will be done by the Office of WBWDU or any designated officer of the Directorate of Social Welfare, Govt. of West Bengal. Selection of NGOs/Companies have to be made after following criteria as mentioned below without any deviation on the basis of letter of intent:

For NGOs:

• NGOs must have been registered at least three years prior to the date of application and renewed the registration regularly.

• The Governing Body of NGO should comprise of at least 1/3rd female members and the list of latest Governing Body duly authenticated by District Magistrate has to be furnished along with the application.

• The NGO should have provision of imparting Vocational Training in their Objectives of Association.

• NGO should have excess of income over expenditure (surplus) during last three years to be supported by last three years audit and annual report.

• NGOs should have sound financial condition and the proposed project cost should not exceed last two years annual turnover.

• Working experience in the field of Women & Child development with priority in organizing training programme.

• NGOs registered in a district and opting to work in other district/s should have branch office/s at the working district/s with NGOs bank account/s separately to handle the fund to be allotted for implementation of the project.

• Generally “ONE NGO - ONE PROJECT” will be followed while selecting NGOs/Companies & projects.

For Companies:

• The Company/Organisation must have been registered with the Registrar of Companies at least three years prior to the date of application.

• The Company/Organisation must be a law compliant with regular periodical compliances of applicable Laws.

• The Company/Organisation should have at least one Women Director on its Board and adequate precautions should be provided for protection of Women, their Rights and for Prevention of harassment. The list of BODMembers duly authenticated by the Managing Director of the Company/Organisation along with DIN of the BODMembers has to be furnished along with the application.

• The Company/Organisation should have framed Rules duly approved by the Board for imparting Vocational Training and Payment of Stipend.

• The Company/Organisation should be required to submit a periodical report to the Sponsor or Agency about the training provided and progress of the trainee candidates.

• The Company/Organisation will have to follow model guidelines as may be provided by the Sponsor Agency.

• The Company/Organisation must have sufficient experience in either Training or Women Empowerment or both.

• The Company/Organisation have to furnish Audit Report along with Directors’ Report of the last three years priorto the date of application for assessment of its financial capacity. The Company/Organisation should have excess of income over expenditure (surplus) for the stated period.

• The Company/Organisation registered in a district and opting to work in other district/s should have branch office/s at the working district/s with Company/Organisation bank account/s separately to handle the fund to be allotted for implementation of the project.

• Generally “ONE COMPANY/ORGANISATION - ONE PROJECT” will be followed while selecting Company/Organisation & projects.

• After selection of NGOs/Companies & projects submitted by them required documents related the applications are to be collected from the selected NGOs/Companies and application to be processed at District level. For Kolkata District that would be done at the Office of the WBWDU.

Mode of Release of Fund

Fund will be released to NGOs / Companies in three instalments after execution of “Bond Agreement”, submission of “list of selected trainees & trainers” and “broad sheet with quotations of fixed assets.

The 1st instalment will comprise of 100% of non-recurring grant & 50% of recurring grant out of the total sanctioned project cost.

The 2nd instalment comprising of balance 40% of recurring grant will be released subsequently on receipt of the following documents from the NGOs through the District Authority in case of district and directly by WBWDU through Directorate of Social Welfare, Govt. of W.B. in case of KOLKATA – directly /through authority specified by WBWDU.

1. Progress report in proforma.

2. Audited Utilisation Certificate in proforma.

3. Audited statement of accounts – Balance sheet/ Income Expenditure/ Receipts & payments.

4. Month wise & Item wise report on production and sale of products in proforma.

5. A/C payee Demand Draft in the name of – WEST BENGAL WOMEN DEVELOPMENT UNDERTAKING of the 50% amount of the total sales proceeds earned during 1st half of the training program.

6. List of trainees who have been finally included in the training program from the approved list of trainees as already furnished to WBWDU before execution of ‘Bond of Agreement’ duly countersigned by DSWO.

7. Asset list in proforma.

8. Mid-term monitoring report from the appropriate authority (DSWO in the District).

The 3rd instalment comprising of the remaining 10% of recurring grant will be released subsequently on receipt of the verified Post Training Placement Report and analysis of the performance of the NGO/Company in that context by DSWO along with documents similar to that of 2nd instalment. In this connection please consult details booklet on release of fund for 1st,, 2 nd , 3rd instalment of fund.