VELLORE: District revenue officer A Sundaravalli on Tuesday distributed loan assistance to the tune of Rs 5.64 crore under the TAHDCO Scheme to 164 beneficiaries from across the district. This included a subsidy component of Rs 2.03 crore, while the balance is loans from banks. This is a first-of-its-kind effort made by the district administration to disburse loans and subsidy through a single window clearance.
The loan assistance is being extended to the recipients for the purchase of vans, autorikshaws, tractors, cars and other employment opportunities. TAHDCO’s district manager, Ramakrishnan said that the focus of the schemes was to create assets for the recipients, to lead a comfortable life. The beneficiaries’ professional experience, ability to avail and repay the loans was also ascertained, said Ramakrishnan.
The selection of the TAHDCO beneficiaries were made by a district-level committee comprising officials from various offices and banks. The qualifying age for a beneficiaries was set between 18 and 55 and there was no formal educational qualifications required to avail the loan. However their professional experiences were considered in their respective fields. The loans were considered for entrepreneurial development, self-employment and skill development schemes, and the target for the year 2011-12 has been achieved, added Ramakrishnan.
Among the 20 blocks of the district, 19 beneficiaries from Alangayam topped the list with a total loan assistance of `57 lakh with `28.5 lakh as subsidy component. Tirupattur and Arakonam with 12 beneficiaries each, Kaveripakkam and Anaicut with 10 each followed suit. Wallajah and Vellore ended up with 9 and 8 beneficiaries respectively. Only one beneficiary each came from Joalrpettai and Timiri blocks.
Also, under the District Industries Centre, 30 beneficiaries had received loan assistance amounting to `41.35 lakh from the DRO which also included `6.5 lakh as subsidy component. The loan assistance was extended to them to set up textile businesses, readymade garments manufacturing units, groceries, tanning businesses, chemical vending units, country brick making centres and also for setting up medical shops, photo studios, tailoring shops, concrete mixer units, hotels, cell phone servicing, etc.
Gulothungan, lead bank manager; Suresh, assistant manger, NABARD; Anbarasan, assistant engineer, District Industries Centre were present among other officials on the occasion.