Ranjeet Kour, a resident of Kunjwani in the Jammu district,  is breaking all borders as she has emerged as one of the first women to be driving an auto-rickshaw in Jammu region  with UMEED scheme of Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihood Mission (JKRLM).

Ranjeet said that she earned between Rs 1500 and 2000 on a day-to-day basis and she is now getting special bookings in the area.

“I am now getting praise across the board wherever I go even by those who once used to criticize me. Passengers are even more impressed with my courage now,” she told ANI.

“It’s important for a woman not to have to depend on her father or husband for money, and for me, it’s the first time it has happened. I am very grateful to the Centre’s scheme which helped me earn a living,” she said.

“When nothing seemed to be helping my family, I one day decided to work shoulder to shoulder with my husband, as an auto-rickshaw driver,” she said, adding that though it was difficult to convince him (husband) at the initial stage, once he agreed, I without wasting time joined the UMEED group, from where I got financial help for e-rickshaw.”

National Rural Livelihoods Mission is being run in the State of J&K as Jammu & Kashmir State Rural Livelihoods Mission (Umeed)