The government on Friday launched a street food festival and expo of products by women Self Help Groups to highlight accomplishments on the financial inclusion and micro lending sectors.
The event is jointly held by the Puducherry Urban Development Agency and Local Administration Department, side Vendors Food Festival, Women Self Help Group Products Exhibition organised by Puducherry, Oulgaret Municipalities and Indian Bank will be held from yesterday (30th August) till tomorrow (1st September).
Lieutenant-Governor K. Kailashnathan inaugurated the food festival and exhibition. He also presented ‘Performance Recognition for Access to financial Inclusion and Street vendors Empowerment’ (PRAISE) awards.
Addressing the event, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy said a total of 2,447 registered roadside vendors in Puducherry have benefited from the PM’s scheme. Puducherry’s per capita income has risen to Rs 2.75 lakh due to Puducherry’s excellence in big and small traders, industry, education, he said.
Speaker R. Selvam, Public Works Minister K. Lakshminarayanan, Chief Secretary Sharat Chauhan and others participated in the function.
Meanwhile, a press note said that under the Deenadayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihood Mission the livelihoods of the urban poor are being improved across the UT by providing training and access in gainful self-employment and wages employment opportunities implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
The various components being implemented under the scheme are social mobilisation and institutional development, capacity building and training and employment through skills training and placement. Led by the Pondicherry Urban Development Agency, self-employment programmes, shelter for urban homeless, support to urban street vendors and PM Street Vendor’s Atma Nirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) are also held across the UT.
The scheme was rolled out in 2020 to provide credit as working capital to the street vendors whose livelihood was adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through bank loan linkage. The objectives included facilitating a working capital loan up to Rs.10,000 as first tranche and support with Rs. 20,000 as second tranche and Rs.50,000 as third tranche for beneficiaries. An interest subsidy of 7% is also provided against prompt repayment of loan.
The festival was held in the wake of the Union Territory of Puducherry being awarded the second prize in the list of ‘Best Performing States - Loan Performance’ for Small States and Union Territories under the PM SVANidhi Scheme by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
