WARANGAL: As many as 17,947 street vendors have been identified by the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) under Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi scheme (PM SVANidhi). Of these, 2,992 have already been issued identity cards and sanctioned Rs 10,000 loan each.
The scheme is aimed to boost the livelihoods of street vendors, who have been struggling due to loss of business since the lockdown, in March.
According to GWMC authorities, over 14,955 street vendors had applied online for the loan, however, most of the applications were pending from three months as there had been a delay in the approval process taken up by the bank authorities.
Meanwhile, Warangal (Urban) Collector Rajiv Gandhi Hanumanthu held a meeting with the corporation officials and took them to task over the delay in issue of ID cards to the street vendors. Rajiv Gandhi Hanumanthu also held a meeting with bank officials and instructed them to clear all pending applications as early as possible and sanction loan to eligible street vendors.
Under the scheme, every eligible street vendor will get a loan of `10,000 at seven per cent interest, which can be repaid in 12 Easy Monthly Installments (EMI). The street vendors can also repay the amount in advance if they wish to d0 so. To avail the scheme, the street vendors have to get their Aadhar card details linked with their mobile phone numbers and bank accounts. When Express contacted Rajiv Gandhi Hanumanthu, he was not available for comment.