₹1 Lakh Child Fund, Zero-Interest Loans: Nashik ZP Announces Schemes For Widow Remarriage, Employment

Nashik: Considering the situation that even after the Widow Remarriage Act came into force in 1855, there are still many obstacles in the remarriage of widowed women, to encourage the rehabilitation of widowed women, the Zilla Parishad, under the guidance of Divisional Commissioner Dr Praveen Gedam, IAS, and District Collector Ayush Prasad, has announced an innovative scheme from the Zilla Parishad Cess Fund under the Navchetna initiative of Chief Executive Officer Omkar Pawar.

Through this scheme, a deposit of Rs. 1 lakh will be made in the name of the children of widowed women and interest of up to Rs. 30 thousand on loans taken for employment will be paid by the Zilla Parishad. Widows living in the Gram Panchayat area of ​​​​the rural areas of the district will be able to take this scheme.

The responsibility of children comes up as a major obstacle in the remarriage of widowed women. Often, men impose conditions on children to leave their mothers' homes, which makes women reluctant to remarry. As a solution to this situation, a deposit receipt of Rs. 1 lakh will be kept by the Zilla Parishad in the name of the two children of a widowed women who remarry.

This deposit is in the name of the respective sons and daughters, and this amount cannot be withdrawn until they are 18 years of age. This fund can be used for the higher education of those children in the future. The Zilla Parishad expresses its belief that this scheme will help increase the rate of widow remarriage by creating a sense of acceptance with the children. A fund of Rs. 75 lakh has been reserved for this scheme.

Similarly, a fund of Rs. 5 lakh each has been made available in each taluka of the district to organise programs, publicity activities and bride and groom gatherings to encourage widow remarriage.

An interest incentive scheme has also been announced from the Zilla Parishad Cess Fund so that all single women, including widows, divorcees and abandoned women, can start their own businesses and become self-reliant. The Zilla Parishad will pay interest of up to Rs 30,000 on loans of single women taking loans for business.

However, it will be ensured that the business is actually started and the bank installments are paid honestly. Omkar Pawar, Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad, expressed his belief that this will provide an opportunity to take loans at an interest rate of almost zero per cent and will give a boost to the industrial businesses of single women.

"Many social reformers in Maharashtra have made historic efforts for widow remarriage. In the same tradition, the Zilla Parishad is also taking this social commitment forward. However, since employment is the real rehabilitation, instead of focusing only on remarriage, special attention will be paid to interest waiver, employment guidance and promotion of self-employment for the economic upliftment of single women." said Omkar Pawar, Chief Executive Officer, Nashik.

Published on: Sunday, November 23, 2025, 05:53 PM IST