A programme to facilitate Kudumbashree members affected by the mid-August floods to buy household equipment and furniture at discounted rate will be inaugurated on Saturday. The scheme is open to Kudumbashree members who are eligible for loans under the Resurgent Kerala Loan Scheme (RKLS).
According to the Ernakulam District Kudumbashree Mission, a total of 71,728 beneficiaries under 8,206 Neighbourhood Groups (NHGs) in 91 Community Development Societies were initially identified as flood-hit. Of them, applications for RKLS have been submitted by 5,438 groups. The loan scheme will benefit 37,125 Kudumbashree members in the district.
A total of ₹57.86 crore has been sanctioned by banks for Kudumbashree members under 958 NHGs. Each NHG is eligible for a total of ₹10 lakh loan, and each beneficiary is eligible for a loan of ₹1 lakh for purchasing household equipment and furniture. The fresh bank loan is tied to the linkage loan, said a Kudumbashree official.
The beneficiaries can make purchases from approved agencies or dealers directly. The purchase scheme is organised in cooperation with companies that have offered substantial price discounts on their products.
Besides inviting equipment and furniture-makers to join the Rebuild Kerala programme, more companies were made part of the programme in cooperation with the Confederation of Indian Industries, said a posting on the Local Self Government Department website. It added that the State-level inauguration of the programme would be held at Chalakudy. The total State-level sanction is ₹155.17 crore so far for 19,546 Kudumbashree members.
