Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on July 18 (Tuesday) released ₹560.73 crore under the Jagananna Thodu scheme, benefiting 5,10,412 small and marginal street vendors 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 ₹549.70 crore and ₹11.03 crore being towards interest subvention. The amount would be credited into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries directly. The beneficiaries include 4,54,000 petty traders who have availed of the repeat loans.
Releasing the amount with the click of a button at his camp office at Tadepalli near here, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said Andhra Pradesh 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. The petty traders, who have been repaying the loans promptly and taking repeat loans can get an annual increment of ₹1,000 on the loan amount of ₹10,000. They can avail a maximum loan of ₹13,000 under the scheme, he said.
Designed to help petty traders and traditional artisans who depend on money lenders for their 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.
The government has spent ₹2,955.79 crore so far under the scheme which includes ₹74.69 crore paid towards interest, he said.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy observed that petty traders were rendering a social service and helping others by selling vegetables, fruits and food products in push carts, baskets, on motorcycles and auto-rickshaws. Artisans who work on brass items and make Bobbili Veena, Kondapally and Etikoppaka toys, Kalankari and lace items and puppets have also been getting loans under the scheme, said the Chief Minister.
“I had seen their (petty traders and artisans) troubles during my padayatra. The scheme aims at saving them from loan sharks. Around 80% of the beneficiaries are women and a majority of them belong to SC, ST, BC and minority communities,” he said.
Enrolment helpline
Petty traders and artisans who have not yet availed of the scheme so far can enrol for it by dialling the toll-free number 1902 or approaching the volunteers or staff of village and ward secretariats, said Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The Chief Minister thanked the bankers, Mission For Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) officials and village and ward secretariats for implementing the scheme successfully.
Municipal Administration Minister A. Suresh, Women and Child Welfare Minister K.V. Ushasri Charan, Chief Secretary 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. Lakshmisha and Additional Director Bhavana, MEPMA MD Vijayalakshmi, SLBC A.P. Convener Navaneet Kumar, Stree Nidhi MD K.V. Nanchariah, APCOB MD R. Srinath Reddy, senior officials and representatives of various banks were also present.
