New Delhi, July 25 In a bid to empower women and improve their participation in the workforce, the Centre has launched a major infrastructure initiative to construct Working Women Hostels (WWHs) across all 41 districts of Rajasthan, under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme.
Responding to a “starred question” raised by MP Harish Chandra Meena in the Lok Sabha, Minister for Women and Child Development, Annapurna Devi, affirmed that the Ministry is coordinating with the State Government of Rajasthan to operationalise these hostels, envisioned as safe, secure, and affordable living spaces for women in employment or seeking to enter the workforce. The Ministry of Finance, through its Department of Expenditure, allocated Rs 5,000 crore in August 2024 to 28 states under Part X of the SASCI scheme, earmarked specifically for WWHs construction.
Rajasthan received Rs 202 crore for the initiative. The State Government subsequently submitted proposals for hostel construction in each of its 41 districts, with a combined cost of Rs 165.32 crore, which includes hostels in Tonk and Sawai Madhopur districts. In Tonk, a 50-bed hostel is planned at Sonwa with a budget of Rs 3.59 crore, and in Sawai Madhopur, a similar facility is slated for Alanpur. Both proposals have received approval from the central Department of Expenditure, and the first installment of Rs 109.11 crore has already been disbursed for the financial year 2024-25.
To expedite implementation, the Rajasthan government has allocated approximately 1,500 square meters of land for each district's hostel project. Administrative and financial sanctions amounting to Rs 3.59 crore per hostel in Tonk and Sawai Madhopur were issued on May 13, 2025, followed by Notice Inviting Tenders (NIT) on June 16, 2025.
According to annexed data, the hostel plan spans key urban centres including Jaipur, Kota, and Jodhpur with 100-bed hostels, while most other districts will receive 50-bed facilities. The initiative aims to create 2,550 beds across Rajasthan, marking a significant expansion in supportive infrastructure for women professionals.
The WWH scheme is part of the government’s broader vision for “Women-led Development,” aligning welfare infrastructure with economic inclusion and labor force enhancement. The initiative is expected to be a game-changer for women's mobility and financial independence, especially in Tier II and rural districts.
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