Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said no one could dare to extort money from street vendors in Uttar Pradesh today as was done in the past, nor did the street vendors have to beg for money from moneylenders, thanks to the PM SVANidhi scheme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking at a programme organised at Lok Bhawan to distribute loans to 11,000 beneficiaries under the PM SVANidhi and Self-Help Group Loan Scheme here on Thursday, Yogi said that 15 lakh street vendors were beneficiaries of the scheme in UP alone.

Under PM SVANidhi scheme, the street vendors are getting loans in three installments of Rs 10,000, Rs 20,000 and Rs 50,000. The second and third installments are provided on repayment of the first installment.

The chief minister said before the Bharatiya Janata Party regime, no scheme was ever made for street vendors. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi understood the pain of street vendors and brought the PM SVANidhi scheme for them.

He pointed out that Punjab National Bank, which is associated with the scheme now, has connected 200,000 people with this scheme so far. 

“The state government has provided security insurance of Rs 5 lakh to the street vendors associated with PM SVANidhi so that their families do not face any kind of problem,” the chief minister said and added that this scheme was the foundation of women empowerment as mostly women handled household work as well as engaged in street vending.

During the programme, the first installment of Rs 10,000 revolving fund was given to 2,000 women of urban self-help groups. Additionally, two women self-help groups associated with the dairy sector were given a sum of Rs 6,00,000.

The chief minister said that to empower half of the state’s population, the women of self-help groups had been integrated under the Take Home Ration Scheme. “This has not only curbed corruption but has also enabled these women to earn extra income and support their families,” he said.

To buttress his point, Yogi said Balinee Milk Producers in Jhansi was established in 2019. He said the scheme began with six women and now, about 40,000 women were part of the group and the annual turnover of the company was more than Rs 150 crore and net profit approximately Rs 15 crore.

“The double-engine government is relentlessly working to strengthen society by standing with the last person on the last rung of society,” he pointed out.

Highlighting PNB’s role in industrialisation of the state, the chief minister said that when funds were needed for the Ganga Expressway, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman asked the PNB to overcome the financial shortfall. “This expressway is one of the major expressways being built in the country, connecting Meerut with Prayagraj. Currently, it takes 15 to 16 hours to travel from Meerut to Prayagraj, but with the completion of this expressway, the distance will be covered in just six hours,” he said.

Yogi Adityanath further said that this expressway, being constructed at a cost of Rs 36,000 crore, would also lead to the creation of industrial corridors and provide employment opportunities to youth.

“The Reserve Bank of India’s report states that Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the leading state in terms of investments across the country. The state’s economy has doubled in the last six years. Uttar Pradesh has risen from being a ‘bimaru’ state to being categorised with developed states within the country. This expressway reflects the new Uttar Pradesh of new India,” the chief minister said.

Chief Minister Yogi pointed out that the UP government was creating a large industrial zone in Jhansi on the lines of Noida. He said that steps had already been taken to acquire about 35,000 acres of land for this purpose.

“The state government has approved the budget and connectivity to this region has been improved. The establishment of the defence manufacturing corridor is already underway,” he pointed out.

“PNB can make a significant contribution to further enhance the potential of Bundelkhand,” he added.

On this occasion, Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna, Urban Development Minister Arvind Kumar Sharma, State Minister Rakesh Rathore Guru, Chief Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra, and PNB’s Managing Director Atul Kumar Goel, among others were present.