Bhopal: Less than 30 per cent of street vendors in state capital have availed benefit of Pradhanmantri Swanidhi Yojana. The scheme was launched in 2020 to benefit vendors who had suffered financial losses during the lockdown.
The scheme was launched to provide an affordable working capital loan of Rs 10,000 for a period of one year, on June 1, 2020. But, the vendors claim it is not easy to procure loan due to obstacles placed by civic body.
The Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) is responsible for registration of vendors and provide them loan under the scheme. In state capital, only 25,000 vendors have been provided the loan under the scheme.
There are over 80,000 registered vendors in city and more than 80,000 who are not registered. There have been incidents of clash reported between bank and BMC officials over non-approval of loan under the central government’s scheme.
The vendors allege that civic body officials do no help them in taking loan. Ratnesh Upadhyay, a vendor’s association office bearer, said the BMC officials do not easily sanction loan and even when the registered vendors receive loan, their hand carts are towed away under anti- encroachment drive.
He says that the vendors are forced to bring one or other documents for the loan. Also, they do not cooperate when they fulfill the requirements and approach the bank officials. BMC officials say that they are making efforts to ensure the easy loan to vendors.
25,000 vendors
Additional commissioner Pawan Singh said that over 25,000 vendors have availed the loan in city. “It was the first phase of the scheme. In second phase, we will ensure maximum number of vendors get the benefit,” he added.
