Svanidhi Samvaad: PM Modi interacts with street vendors from Madhya Pradesh

New Delhi [India], September 9 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held an interaction with street vendors from Madhya Pradesh as part of 'Svanidhi Samvaad'.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri also participated in the event, held through video conferencing.
The Prime Minister spoke to three vendors from Indore, Gwalior, and Raisen about the benefits they had received under the PM Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme and the difficulties, if any, they had to face in procuring the seed capital for their business under the scheme.
"I congratulate all beneficiaries of the PM SVANidhi scheme. In my interactions with a few of them, I could see hope, confidence in their talks. I also congratulate Chief Minister Shivraj Singh and his team for his efforts through which in just two months over one lakh street vendors have received the benefit under the scheme," the Prime Minister said.
"This scheme aims to provide a new beginning for the street vendors. This is the first time that a network of lakhs of people has been connected to the system and they have been given an identity," he added.
The Prime Minister also said that under this scheme the beneficiaries can get fully exempt from having to pay back the interest on loans if they give attention to some small details.
He also said that a new process has been started to ensure that the street vendors do not lag behind in accepting digital payments, under which bank officials would visit them and provide them with QR codes, along with instructing them how to use it.
The Prime Minister also inquired the vendors about the businesses they had started after getting the loans and the impact the COVID-19 crisis had on their livelihood.
The vendors also spoke about the benefits they and their family members had received from other schemes such as Ayushman Bharat, Ujjwala Yojana, as well as the ones started during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The Centre had launched PM SVANidhi scheme on 1st June 2020 to help poor street vendors, impacted by COVID-19 resume their livelihood activities.
Madhya Pradesh stands first in the number of total applications accepted, with 47 per cent of these coming from the State alone. (ANI)