Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy formally launched the ‘YSR Sunna Vaddi’ (YSR zero interest) scheme through videoconference on Friday.
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Addressing the members of Self Help Groups (SHGs) as ‘his sisters’, the Chief Minister called upon them to make use of the scheme, being implemented for their welfare all over the State. The scheme was being extended to benefit 91 lakh women, despite the financial difficulties in view of COVID-19. Each group would get ₹20,000 to ₹40,000 into their accounts. Later, he interacted with SHG members in various districts.
K. Padmavathi, mandal federation president of Anandapuram in Bheemunipatnam constituency, told the Chief Minister that they had already received the money under ‘student fee reimbursement’, ‘vidya vasathi’ and ‘Rythu Bharosa’ schemes. Apart from this, rice, dal, senagalu and bananas were given to them at a time, when they were reeling under the lockdown due to coronavirus. Village volunteers came to their doorstep and distributed ₹1,000 as relief. She recalled as to how the previous government had failed to implement its promise of ‘runa mafi’ (loan waiver) scheme, which resulted in the ‘A’ grade SHGs being degraded to ‘B’ and ‘C’ groups as they failed to repay the loans in view of the mounting interest rate.
District Collector V. Vinay Chand told the Chief Minister that the government would bear the total interest burden of ₹64.16 crore, payable by 7,17,910 SHGs in the district between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020. Loans up to ₹3 lakh would have to be charged 7 % as per the guidelines of the Centre. This amount would be borne by the State government as part of the ‘YSR Sunna Vaddi’ scheme. He reminded the SHG members that prompt repayment of the loans taken would help in strengthening of the SHGs further. He also said that cloth was purchased from APCO and given to the SHGs for preparation of masks.
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Addressing the women, after the videoconference, Minister for Tourism Muttamsetty Srinivasa Rao reminded the SHG members that the Chief Minister had kept his word despite the difficult financial situation due to COVID-19. House site pattas would be distributed to 27 lakh beneficiaries soon. He handed over cheques to SHG members and distributed masks.
The SHG members, under the purview of GVMC, handed over ₹20 lakh as contribution to the CM Relief Fund for undertaking coronavirus control programmes.
GVMC Commissioner G. Srijana, Joint Collector Venugopal Reddy and DRDA PO Visweswara Rao were among those who participated.