PM addresses PM SVANidhi beneficiaries in Delhi
Distributes loans to 1 lakh street vendors under the scheme
Lays foundation stone for two additional corridors of Delhi Metro’s Phase 4
“PM SVANidhi Yojna has proved to be a lifeline for street vendors”
“Even though the vending carts and shops of street vendors might be small,
their dreams are huge”
“PM SVANidhi Yojana has become the support system for lakhs of street vendors
families”
“Modi is relentlessly working to improve the lives of the poor and the middle
classes. Modi’s thinking is ‘welfare of nation by the welfare of public’”
“Partnership of dreams of common citizens and Modi’s resolve is the guarantee
of a bright future”
The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi addressed the beneficiaries of PM
SVANidhi scheme at JLN Stadium in Delhi today and distributed loans to 1 lakh
street vendors (SVs) including 5,000 SVs from Delhi as part of the scheme. He
handed over PM SVANidhi loan cheques to five beneficiaries. The Prime Minister
also laid the foundation stone of two additional corridors of Delhi Metro’s
Phase 4.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister acknowledged the presence
of lakhs of street vendors linked to the event through video conferencing from
100s of cities. Remembering the strength of street vendors during the pandemic,
the Prime Minister underlined their importance in everyday life. The Prime
Minister said that money has been transferred directly to the account of 1 lakh
street vendors all over the country and to top it all, two additional corridors
of Delhi Metro: Lajpat Nagar – Saket-G Block and Inderlok – Indraprastha were
also launched today.
The Prime Minister acknowledged the lakhs of street vendors in the
country who take care of the needs of their families with their hard work and
self-respect. PM Modi underlined that even though their vending carts and shops
might be small, their dreams are huge. He pointed out that the governments of
the past did not take any interest in the welfare of street vendors which led
to them facing disrespect and hardships. He observed that their need for funds
was fulfilled by high-interest loans while untimely payments caused further
disrespect and even higher interest rates. He also noted that they had no
access to banks as they did not hold any loan guarantees. In such cases,
availing bank loans had become impossible due to no bank accounts and the
absence of business records. “Previous governments did not pay any heed to the
needs of street vendors, nor did they make any effort to tackle their issues”,
PM Modi said.
“This servant of yours has come out of poverty. I have lived in poverty.
That is why those who have not been cared for by anyone, they were not only
cared for but have been worshiped by Modi”, said the Prime Minister. He further
said, those who did not have anything to give guarantee as collateral were
assured of Modi’s Guarantee. He also praised the integrity of street vendors.
He said that loans worth 10,20 and 50 thousand are being provided to street
vendors depending upon their records and use of digital transactions. Up till
now, 62 lakh beneficiaries have received assistance worth Rs 11,000 crores. He
expressed delight that more than half of the beneficiaries are women.
Recalling the launch of PM SVANidhi Yojna during the covid pandemic, the
Prime Minister threw light on a recent study which states that the income of
street vendors has grown manifold and the digital records of purchases are also
helping them avail benefits from the bank. He also informed that a cashback of
Rs 1200 can be redeemed with digital transactions every year.
Highlighting the hardships faced by street vendors in their daily lives,
the Prime Minister noted that many of them migrate from villages to cities to
make a living. “PM SVANidi not only connects the beneficiaries to banks but
also opens the doors to other government benefits”, PM Modi said, giving
examples of free ration, free treatment and free gas connections. He also
highlighted the transformative approach of One Nation One Ration Card scheme
which allows availing free ration from anywhere across the country.
The Prime Minister said that out of 4 crore pucca houses, 1 crore have
been allotted to the urban poor. Referring to the massive drive to provide
pucca houses in place of jhuggis, the Prime Minister said that 3000 houses have
already been completed in Delhi and 3500 houses are about to be completed. He
also mentioned the rapid regularization of unauthorized colonies and PM
Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojana with an allocation of Rs 75,000.
“Central Government is working day and night to make the lives of the
poor and the middle class easier in Delhi”, PM Modi said. He gave the example
of building pucca houses for the middle class as well as the urban poor and
informed that a subsidy of Rs 50,000 crores has been handed out for the
construction of houses. He mentioned fast-paced work on metro services in
dozens of cities and running electric buses to tackle the problems of pollution
and traffic congestion. “Delhi Metro Network has expanded two times in the last
10 years”, the Prime Minister said highlighting that Delhi’s metro’s extensive
network is among the select few cities in the world. He also mentioned NaMo
Bharat rapid rail connectivity for Delhi NCR region. “Central Government is
running more than 1000 electric buses in Delhi to curb pollution in the city”,
PM Modi added. He also noted that numerous expressways have been built around
Delhi to reduce pollution and traffic congestion as he recalled the
inauguration of Dwarka Expressway earlier in the week.
Talking about the initiative for promoting sports among the youth, the
Prime Minister mentioned Khelo India giving unprecedented opportunities to the
youth from ordinary families as accessible facilities are coming and help is
being provided for quality training for the athletes.
“Modi is relentlessly working to improve the lives of the poor and the
middle classes. Modi’s thinking is ‘welfare of nation by the welfare of
public’, eliminating corruption and appeasement from the roots and making India
the world’s third-largest economy”, PM Modi emphasized.
The Prime Minister concluded, “Partnership of dreams of common citizens
and Modi’s resolve is the guarantee of a bright future”.
Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Vinay Kumar Saxena, Union Minister for
Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri and Union Minister of State for
Finance, Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad were present on the occasion.
Guided by the Prime Minister’s vision to provide economic support to the
marginalized sections, PM SVANidhi was launched on 1st June 2020 amidst the
global economic crisis caused by the pandemic. It has proven to be
transformative for the marginalized communities of street vendors. Till now,
more than 82 lakh loans amounting to over Rs 10,978 crores have been disbursed
to more than 62 lakh street vendors across the country. Delhi alone has
witnessed the distribution of nearly 2 lakh loans, amounting to Rs. 232 crores.
The scheme continues to be a beacon of financial inclusion and holistic welfare
for those who have been historically underserved.
During the programme, the Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone
for two additional corridors of Delhi Metro: Lajpat Nagar – Saket-G Block and
Inderlok – Indraprastha. The combined length of these two corridors will be
more than 20 km and will help improve connectivity and further reduce traffic
congestion.
The stations on the Lajpat Nagar to Saket G- Block corridor will include
Lajpat Nagar, Andrews Ganj, Greater Kailash – 1, Chirag Delhi, Pushpa Bhawan,
Saket District Centre, Pushp Vihar, Saket G – Block. The stations on the
Inderlok – Indraprastha corridor will include Inderlok, Daya Basti, Sarai
Rohilla, Ajmal Khan Park, Nabi Karim, New Delhi, LNJP Hospital, Delhi Gate,
Delhi Sachivalaya, Indraprastha.