CM disburses Jagananna Thodu amount

Vijayawada: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has credited Rs.395 crore to 3.95 lakh beneficiaries under Jagananna Thodu Scheme at Tadepalli near here on Wednesday besides an interest component of Rs 15.96 crore. The scheme provides Rs 10,000 each to small and petty traders, vendors and artisans and so far the State has provided Rs 2,011 crore to 15,03,558 families under the scheme to promote self- employment.

The small and petty traders and vendors who sell their goods and are on the pavements, tiny shops and push carts also generate employment and become part of social empowerment.

The Chief Minister said that he had seen the plight of such petty traders, who were exploited by money lenders and middlemen besides artisans and the Jagananna Thodu Scheme had thus evolved and was meant to help many. The State has been providing loans to over 5.08 lakh, other State Governments in the country have been providing such benefits to 15.03 lakh families which show the scale and size of concern AP has towards social and economic empowerment, he said. For those who repay loans on time, the State has been taking the interest burden and Rs.48.48 crore has been reimbursed to 12.50 lakh families. As part of this, Rs. 15.96 crore is being reimbursed now. The list has 3.95 lakh new beneficiaries to whom an amount of Rs.395 crore is being given.

Of the beneficiaries, 80 percent are women and belong to SC, ST, BC and Minorities which is a glaring example of social and economic empowerment, he said.

Drawing a comparison with the previous government, the Chief Minister said, such welfare was never thought of by the previous dispensation and it never thought of people who were engaged in small and petty trade selling coffee, tea, eateries, vegetables, fruits in various modes. They also did not focus on artisans and traditional craftsmen. The previous government and its friendly media had a feudal mindset looking after their own interest.

They only followed the principle of plunder, stash and ingest formula but our Government has embarked on the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Of the 15.03 lakh beneficiaries majority of them are also being benefited by other schemes being implemented by the present government, he stated.