Revised edited copy: 2,928 street vendors await loans under PM SVANidhi scheme

Still not sanctioned

The Covid-induced lockdown disrupted livelihood of many, but we are among the most affected. I had applied for a loan in October, but still it has not been sanctioned.— Prem Kumar, street vendor

Banks told to clear loans soon

We have been reviewing the progress on a daily basis. We have even told the banks to clear the loans at the earliest. Karnal civic body is leading the tally in Haryana in disbursing the loans— Vikram Singh, Commissioner, MC

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Banks to clear backlog this week

I had held a meeting with the banks and pulled them up for the slow pace in the disbursement of loans. The banks have assured me to clear the backlog within this week. I have also constituted a team to assist the applicants. — Nishant Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, December 7

As many as 2,928 street vendors, who had applied in various banks for a loan upto Rs 10,000 under the PM Street Vendor’s Atmanirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme, are waiting for the disbursement of loans. The scheme was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on June 1 in the wake of the Covid pandemic that resulted in disruption of livelihood of street vendors.

The data collected shows that 6,558 street vendors have been identified in the areas of Karnal, Assandh, Gharaunda, Indri, Nilokheri, Nissing and Taraori civic bodies.

Of them, 4,326 street vendors had applied for loans comprising 3,183 in various banks in Karnal city, 165 in Assandh, 280 in Gharaunda, 199 in Indri, 161 in Nilokheri, 125 in Nissing and 213 in Taraori.

Till December 3, out of total applicants, the banks had sanctioned the loans of 2,190 applicants and disbursement of loans has been made of 1,394, while 2,928 applicants are waiting for loans, said the data. In the municipal corporation (MC) area alone, 2,066 street vendors are waiting for loans.

“The Covid-induced lockdown disrupted livelihood of many, but we are among the most affected. I had applied for a loan in October, but still it has not been sanctioned,” said Prem Kumar, a street vendor.

The Union Government started this scheme to empower street vendors by not only extending them loans, but also bringing about their holistic development, said Vikram Singh, Commissioner, MC.

The scheme intends to facilitate collateral-free working capital loans up to Rs 10,000 of one-year tenure to help resume their businesses in the urban areas that have been affected due to the Covid lockdown, he added. The authorities claimed that Karnal civic body was leading the tally in disbursing the loan in Haryana. “We have been reviewing the progress on a daily basis. We have even told the banks to clear the loans at the earliest. Karnal civic body is leading the tally in Haryana in disbursing the loan,” he added.

Nishant Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner, said he had pulled up the banks for their lethargic approach. “I had held a meeting with the banks and pulled them up for the slow pace in the disbursement of loans. The banks have assured me to clear the backlog within this week. I have also constituted a team to assist the applicants,” said the DC.

On the other hand, the banks claimed that due to technical issues they were not able to generate UPI IDs as well as QR IDs, resulting in delay in the disbursement of loans. “Most of the applicants do not have smart phones, due to which the banks have been facing a problem in generating the UPI IDs and QR IDs as these IDs are supposed to be generated on the smart phone. Now, the DC office has appointed a team to assist the applicants who do not have a smart phone to generate their IDs,” said Surinder Kumar Singhall, chief lead bank district manager.