Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the Pradhan Mantri Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA) Yojana here on Friday.
He said small entrepreneurs and poor people including tea sellers, beetle shop owners, rickshaw pullers and the common men and small entrepreneurs who want to carry out a business now can take loan from any nationalized bank at a minimum interest of 5 per cent and will be no more exploited by the money lenders and land lords.
Now, MUDRA will instill a new confidence in them that the country is ready to support them in their efforts that are contributing so heavily to the task of nation building. This is the first banking like institution/scheme in the country to sanction loan to common people including small entrepreneurs without mortgage of any property and guarantor, he added.
Pradhan said that immediately after Modi came to power, he concentrated only on development of all sections of the society in general and poorest of the poor and the farmers in general. Prime Minister’s Dhan Jan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Yojana and Atal Pension Scheme are the indicators of his noble vision as these social welfare schemes are becoming most popular among the common man.
Aska MP ladu Kishore Swain, Andhra Bank CMG Seshadri Rao, Brahmapur MlA Dr Ramesh Chandra Chyau Pattnaik, Coordinator of Odisha Public Sector Bank’s Samantaray shared the dais. Among others, the BJP leader Rama Chandra Panda, Shiv Shankar Das, district BJP president Bijay Swain, the Project Director DRDA and a host of bank officials and beneficiaries were present.
later, Purushottam Jagannath Chetana Foundation, led by Sabyasachi Das submitted a memorandum to the Union Minister demanding creation of Ghumusar District by bifurcating Ganjam district taking eight blocks such as Jagannath Prasad, Surada, Buguda, Belaguntha, Bhanjanagar, Aska and Dharakote.