Madhya Pradesh tops in making small businessmen self-reliant

Bhopal : The Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that Corona pandemic has affected the street vendors involved in small business the most but the state government stands beside them. Madhya Pradesh tops in implementing the Pradhan Mantri Street Vendors Atma Nirbhar Nidhi (P.M. Swa Nidhi) scheme, which is being implemented in the state to help the street vendors to continue their business and to increase it. Shri Chouhan said that maximum benefit of the scheme will be given to small businessmen like vegetable vendors, people running chaat shops and related to tailoring works besides tea sellers in the state, so that all these can be saved from the burden of interest and can conduct their business smoothly for the sustenance of their families. The government will lend full support to the people doing small businesses to remove their economic difficulties. The Chief Minister Shri Chouhan was holding talks with the street vendors of the state through Video conferencing from Mantralaya. Street vendors were very joyous to have very affectionate conversation with the Chief Minister Shri Chouhan and most of them addressed Chief Minister Shri Chouhan as Mama.

The Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that under the scheme, the process of providing identity cards to all registered street vendors in the state should be completed. He said that the scheme will be reviewed constantly. Apart from urban street vendors, a scheme to provide interest free assistance of Rs. 10 thousand is being implemented for the street vendors of rural areas of the state. On timely repayment of the loan, double amount i.e. Rs. 20 thousand will be sanctioned next year. The Chief Minister Shri Chouhan further said that many times, a person engaged in small business spent all his life time in paying off the debt. Under this scheme, the beneficiary will have a facility to repay the loan in one year and business of everyone will get boost because of the loan without interest. The government will take the loan guarantee. Many businessmen who had shut down the business will now be able to restart their business.

Progress

The Pradhan Mantri Street Vendors Nidhi Yojanahas been launched to provide benefit to beneficiaries of 378 urban bodies of the state. So far, 15 thousand 500 cases have been approved in the state and interest free loan of total Rs. 15 crore 50 lakh has been approved. As many as 8 lakh 70 thousand 330 street vendors have registered under the scheme. Out of these street vendors, identity cards and vending certificates have also been issued to one lakh 76 thousand street vendors .

Beneficiaries say, Government lend us a big support

The Chief Minister Shri Chouhan held talks with the beneficiaries of various districts. Most of the beneficiaries believed that the government has lent them a great help during the crisis. Smt. Pooja Rathore of Anuppur is involved in tailoring work. She had started sewing work in January this year after purchasing 4 new machines. She never expected the corona virus crisis. Smt. Pooja told that her business was shut, she also ran out of the savings and became indebted. Meanwhile, under the state government’s Jeevan Shakti Yojana, she made 200 masks and got an amount of Rs. 2200. With Rs. 10 thousand under the Pradhan Mantri Swa-Nidhi yojana, she is able to restart her business.

Shri Pankaj Yadav of Agar does the business of selling glasses and purses etc. He too has recived the amount under the scheme and happy that his business will go on smoothly now. Shri Santosh Joshi of Bhopal is vegetable vendor. He was disappointed during the lockdown period. Now he hopes that he will be able to save at least Rs. 300 per day. Shri Gopal of Bhind is also a vegetable vendor. He sincerely hopes that there will no longer be any difficulty in conducting his business.

Nishu Chaudhary of Bhander in Datia district runs a chaat thela. He has also received assistance under the scheme. Lakhan Ahirwar of Raisen is a fruit vendor. He had to face a lot of problems during the corona crisis and now the whole family is happy that their life will come back on track after getting the benefit of the scheme.Shri Jaikumar of Mandsaur runs a tea thela. He too has got rid of the financial constraints faced by his family. Shri Batham of Morena runs pav bhaji thela. He believes that he will now start fruit shop to earn more profit. After getting loan Shri Vishnu Rathore of Morena, now will become fruits and vegetables vendor. He said that he owned Poha shop in the past. He got a big relief from the help of the government and has also received 3 months ration for the family. LPG connection and cylinder was received by him in wife’s name under the Ujjawala scheme. Ration for June has also been received. Shri Vishnu Rathore emotionally told the Chief Minister Shri Chouhan that he was very happy with the help received and was very sure that his life will come back on track now. The Chief Secretary Shri Iqbal Singh Bains, Principal Secretary Urban Administration and Housing Shri Nitesh Vyas, Commissioner Shri Nikunj Kumar Shrivastava and Additional Commissioner Shri Swantantra Singh were present at the video conference.

Directives of CM Shri Chouhan

Street vendors should not face any difficulty in getting loans.

Besides providing loan to street vendors, it should also be ensured that their business starts again.

Identity cards should be provided to all street vendors.

Constant review of scheme should be conducted.

Constant follow up to ensure that no street vendor should be deprived of benefit.

Take serious action on complaints.

All officers and employees are required to be alert and active.

Salient features of scheme

The scheme is being implemented in 378 urban bodies of Madhya Pradesh. The scheme has been launched to connect the urban street vendors with employment and to and provide a means of permanent livelihood to them as their sustenance was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Government of India has made provisions for street vendors of urban areas in the PM Street Vendors Atma Nirbhar Nidhi(PM Swa-Nidhi) Scheme.Those small businessmen who were street vendors before 24 March 2020 or have returned to the state from other states due to Corona will be eligible for benefit under the scheme. Street vendors of nearby rural areas who come to work in the city will also be able to avail benefit of the scheme. Under the scheme, interest free working capital of Rs. 10 thousand will be provided for one year. Interest subsidy of 7 percent on loan amount will be borne by the Government of India and the remaining will be borne by the State Government. A maximum special subsidy of Rs.1200 will also be given in a year on conducting digital transactions. On timely repayment of amount, beneficiaries will be able to get working capital of maximum Rs. 20 thousand in the next year. Overdraft and CC limit facility will also be made available to the beneficiary. Beneficiaries have also been given a facility of online application and online loan approval. Instructions have been given to execute the agreement on just Rs. 50 stamp.

The PM Swa-Nidhi Yojna portal was launched by the Union Government on July 2, 2020, in which the registered unorganized workers of the state were registered on the Government of India portal on the proposal of the state government. On June 6, 2020, the Chief Minister Urban Organized Workers Integrated Portal was prepared by the Madhya Pradesh government, in which about 8 lakh 70 thousand street vendors of the urban bodies of the state were registered.