Despite having a small plot of land near the state highway, Anuradha Satpute was not able to construct a home. A resident of Yusuf Wadgaon Block at Kaij in Beed district, she has two daughters and a son. Anuradha has studied till Class 12. She and her husband work as construction labourers.

Anuradha’s situation took a turn for the better after she heard about the work done by Project Nirmanshree from a few staff members of the team. She signed up for a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) construction training session under Project Nirmanshree. She also participated in the Entrepreneurship Development Programme.

“I was able to learn more about the various government schemes available to me and also understand how I can plan my business,” Anuradha said. She also participated in a four-day training on Enterprise Skill Development organised by Project Nirmanshree. Anuradha then decided to begin a centring plate rental business. Centring plates are widely used in RCC (Reinforced Cement Concrete) casting work as the alternative to wooden plates. It provides reliable support for the materials used in constructing slabs, canopies, and beams.

Anuradha charted out a business plan and registered her enterprise. She was finally able to begin her entrepreneurial journey. “By marketing it well, I will try to increase the business of this enterprise,” she said. With a burgeoning enterprise in hand, Anuradha then sought out to build a home for her family. Equipped with the knowledge of what government schemes she could avail for herself and with counselling from Nirmanshree staff, Anuradha submitted the necessary documents needed for approval under the Chief Minister Employment Generation Programme (CMEGP) to the bank. The CMEGP, initiated by the Government of Maharashtra, is a credit-linked subsidy initiative designed to create employment opportunities by facilitating the establishment of micro and small enterprises in both rural and urban areas across the state. Her claim for a house under the Pradhan Mantri Gharkul Yojana was also approved.

The Nirmanshree team also helped her draw out the plans for a house with a toilet and bathroom in the small plot that she owned. “This helped me correct the mistakes in the mortgage needed.” Anuradha was gradually able to build her house as the instalments started coming in. “Our home is ready,” she said. “We now have plans to build a shop along the highway in the future.”