STREET VENDORS WILL ALSO GET I-CARDS ALONG WITH INTEREST-FREE LOANS: CM

Team Absolute|Bhopal Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that a scheme to provide an interest-free loan of Rs 10,000 to rural street vendors of Madhya Pradesh has been implemented, in order to give a strong foundation to their business. All vendors will be provided with identity cards, so that they can do their work in a respectable manner. Chouhan said that big companies will not be allowed to snatch away the business of small businessmen. Addressing the street vendors, Chouhan said that I have faith in your hard work, therefore I am taking the guarantee of your loan and the government will also repay the interest of this loan. Chouhan was addressing a programme, organized for loan distribution to small businessmen of rural areas at Minto Hall, Bhopal on Thursday. Lakhs of people joined the event live through various social media plaforms. On this occasion, Chief Minister also interacted with the beneficiaries. Chouhan said that vegetable and fruit sellers, those running chaat shops, paan shops, small cosmetic shops, cobblers, barbers, laundryman and other small businessmen doing similar work are facing financial crisis due to Covid-19. The Madhya Pradesh government drafted a plan in the month of July to redress their grievances through this scheme. In just a period of two and a half months, loan amount is being given to 20 thousand rural street vendors of the state. Chouhan said that with this scheme, street vendors of Madhya Pradesh are becoming self-reliant. Programmes are being organized under the Gharib Kalyan Saptah for the welfare of people of different classes from September 16th in the state. Today street vendors are being benefitted with this gift. As many as 20 thousand beneficiaries of the state are availing benefits of this scheme which provides interest-free loans of Rs 10 thousand to each beneficiary. Informing about the scheme, Chouhan said that under this scheme, there is a provision to give double amount as loan next year on repayment of loan of Rs 10 thousand by the beneficiary. Chouhan told rural street vendors that “Aapki Zindagi Badalna hi Hamari Zindagi Maqsad Hai” (The aim of our life is to change your life). Referring to the PM Swanidhi Yojana, which provides loans to street vendors in urban areas, Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Modi has lauded the achievements of Madhya Pradesh under this scheme. Out of the total number of beneficiaries of the country, 66 percent are from Madhya Pradesh. Chouhan said that taking into account the success of the scheme in urban areas, street vendors in rural areas should also be considered to be benefitted in the same manner. Nearly 8 lakh 52 thousand people have been registered through the Kamgar Setu portal in the state. The goal is to benefit all street vendors. Chouhan said that in addition not to remove the small traders from their places, the civic bodies will be directed to take care of their means of livelihood. These hard-working vendors will not be removed from their workplaces in the name of beautification. In order to keep the streets clean and beautiful we must also consider cooperative street management in association with the street vendors in which they will have the right to sell their goods and their participation in solid waste management in the streets will also be decided.