June 14, 2023: The PM Swanidhi Yojana in Uttar Pradesh has provided a platform of self-reliance to the street vendors. In Prayagraj, vendors who sell goods, commodities, food items besides items of daily use from roadside temporary structures or move from one place to another in Prayagraj are reaping benifts of this scheme. Under the scheme, street vendors are getting loans of Rs 10000 to Rs 50,000 without any guarantee.
More than 37000 vendors got benefit of the scheme
Due to the commitment of Yogi Adityanath led government in state for implementing the PM Swanidhi scheme, street vendors in Prayagraj received a big support from the scheme. Project Officer of District Urban Development Agency, Prayagraj Vartika Singh informed that under the scheme, 37000 street vendors received benefits including 32,000 beneficiaries in Municipal Corporation area and 2, 231 beneficiaries in Nagar Panchayat area as against the target of 39,000 street vendors in Prayagraj.
24,500 vendors involved in digital transactions
The scheme also promotes monthly digital transfers by street vendors through the cash back benefit.
In this, Rs 100 will be given every month for making 200 digital transactions to vendors to make them digitally proficient. A maximum of Rs 1200 cashback is available in one year. In this way, every vendor would get cash back every month from digital transactions, which is his additional income.
According to DUDA’s project officer Vartika Singh, so far 24,500 vendors were involved in digital transactions in the district.
Income is increasing with financial cooperation: Beneficiaries
This scheme is becoming a means of increasing income for street vendors who sell items or provide services in a haphazard manner in Municipal Corporation area as-well-as in Nagar Panchayat area.
Ashok Maurya, who has set up a temporary fruit juice trolley near Hanumant Niketan Temple in Civil Lines, says that his income had increased with the financial assistance from the scheme. Similarly, Bhola Prajapati, owner of a ready-to-eat mobile stall, says that banks did not give him loan because he did not have any bank credit, but now with the financial assistance of Rs 10,000 made available under the scheme, he had bought a making machine and now was offering his services to more customers than before.
