Aizawl: The Mizoram government on Tuesday released Rs 3.41 crore to 683 beneficiaries in Aizawl district under the third round of the second phase of the Chief Minister’s Special Package of the State’s flagship Bana Kaih (Handholding) Scheme, officials said.
Each beneficiary, referred to as a Progress Partner under the scheme, will receive Rs 50,000 through direct benefit transfer (DBT) into their bank account.
The beneficiaries were selected from 12 line departments covering sectors including animal husbandry and veterinary, commerce, horticulture, tourism, sports, fisheries and sericulture.
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister PC Vanlalruata, who attended the disbursement programme, said the assistance was intended to support the livelihoods of farmers, labourers and small-scale entrepreneurs.
He said beneficiaries had been selected without considering political affiliation and urged them to use the assistance only for the purposes for which it was sanctioned. Beneficiaries who failed to fulfil their commitments could face recovery of the assistance following monitoring, he said.
Mr. Vanlalruata said the government was also working to expand markets for agricultural produce and continue procurement through support prices.
Aizawl Additional Deputy Commissioner Vanlalrova said the Chief Minister’s Special Package was not a programme for distributing “free money”, but a project-based assistance scheme requiring proper planning and systematic implementation.
Implementing departments and district monitoring teams would follow up on the projects, he said, adding that misuse or diversion of funds could lead to penalties, including recovery of the assistance.
The beneficiaries underwent orientation training by their respective line departments before the disbursement.
The Bana Kaih scheme is intended to address access to institutional credit, particularly microcredit, for agriculture and small-scale industrial activities. Under its handholding component, the government provides financial assistance and facilitates loans of up to Rs 50 lakh through three partner banks.
The scheme also includes the Chief Minister’s Special Category Scheme, which provides grant-in-aid to beneficiaries who are unable to avail themselves of loans but have significant livelihood projects.
The government has allocated Rs 350 crore for the implementation of the Bana Kaih scheme during the 2026-27 financial year, including ?150 crore earmarked for procurement of key crops to support local farmers’ livelihoods.