HYDERABAD: A 31-year-old Sripriya, an upper primary school dropout, wanted to help her family by chipping in with whatever little she earns through tailoring.
She learned the basics of tailoring about three years ago. As she mastered her work, she decided to establish a tailoring unit of her own by seeking financial support under Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP).
However, despite going multiple times to banks where she opted for a loan and to the district industrial office, even after three months, she has not received the loan.
Her’s is not an isolated case, as there are more than a hundred people in Rangareddy district alone who have asked for financial assistance under PMEGP and are still waiting.
As per details made available with district authorities, a total of 155 candidates applied for loans to establish a service-oriented or manufacturing unit in 2019, amongst which only seven individuals have been got a loan.
Sripriya, who has dependent ageing parents and a one-year-old child says: “I toil all day to earn Rs 200 to Rs 300 daily.
"At times, in festival season, I work even beyond 10 to 12 hours. Despite this, I make very little money.” She wished to buy sewing machines with the`2 lakh loan that she sought, and create employment for others as well.
Interestingly, when Express probed with the district industrial department about the same, it was found that the applications are not pending with the district authorities, but with the banks.
In case of Sripriya, the district industrial department even forwarded a ‘sponsoring of the proposal under PMEGP’ letter to the concerned bank, after the district-level task force committee meeting which was held in July.
Shiva Krishna Thakur, the Industrial Promotion Officer (IPO) stated that the applicants should persuade the bank authorities to get a loan, even before they apply online.
If the bank authorities are convinced that the loan will be repaid, will they sanction it, he added.