Amaravati, July 18: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy released Rs.560.73 crore under Jagananna Thodu benefiting 5,10,412 small and marginal street venders and artisans with interest free bank loans.
The amount, released towards the first tranche for the fourth consecutive year, includes interest free bank loans amounting to Rs. 549.70crore with the balance of Rs.11.03 crore being paid towards interest subvention.
It would be directly credited into their bank accounts. The beneficiaries include 4,54,000 petty traders who have availed repeat loans.
Releasing the amount virtually with the click of a button at the Camp Office here on Tuesday, the Chief Minister said that the AP is the only State which has been implementing the scheme to help lakhs of petty traders and artisans. The number of loan beneficiaries is higher in the State than the rest of the country, he remarked.
The petty traders, who have been repaying the loans promptly and taking repeat loans, can get an annual increment of Rs. 1000 on the loan amount of Rs 10,000 can avail a maximum loan of Rs. 13,000 under the scheme, he said.
Designed to help petty traders and traditional artisans who depend on loan sharks for daily working capital, the scheme has so far benefitted 15,87,492 petty traders and artisans including 13,29,011 beneficiaries who have taken loans multiple times.
Government has so far spent Rs. 2955.79crore under the scheme which includes Rs. 74.69crore paid towards interest.
The Chief Minister observed that the petty traders are also rendering great social service to people and helping others by selling vegetables, fruits and food products in push carts, baskets, on motorcycles and auto rickshaws on streets.
Artisans who work on brass items and make Bobbili Veena, Kondapally and Etikoppaka toys, Kalankari and lace items and puppets have also been receiving loans under the scheme, he said.
“I had seen their troubles during my padayatra and the idea to launch the scheme was born to save them from loan sharks. The interesting part of it is that 80 per cent of the beneficiaries are women and again, majority of them belong to SCs, STs, BCs and Minorities,” he said.
Petty traders and artisans who have not yet availed the scheme so far can enroll into it by calling toll free number 1902 or approaching volunteers and village and ward secretariat staff, he said.
He thanked the bankers, MEPMA officials and village and ward secretariats for running the scheme successfully.
Municipal Administration Minister A.Suresh, Women and Child Welfare Minister KV Ushasri Charan, CS Dr. K.S. Jawahar Reddy, Special Chief Secretaries Y. Srilakshmi, (MA&UD), Ajay Jain (Village & Ward Secretariats) and B.Rajasekhar (PR & RD), SERP CEO A. Md. Imtiaz, Village & Ward Secretariats Special Secretary B.Mohammad Deewan Maidin, Director G.Lakshmi Shah and Additional Director Bhavana, MEPMA MD Vijayalakshmi, SLBC AP Convener Navaneet Kumar, Stree Nidhi MD KV Nanchariah, APCOB MD R, Srinath Reddy, senior officials and representatives of various banks were also present.
