Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) today launched ‘SVANidhi se Samriddhi’ program in additional 126 cities across 14 States/ UTs, in the presence of senior officials of States/UTs and various Central Ministries.
‘SVANidhi se Samriddhi’, an additional program of PMSVANidhi was launched on 4th January 2021 in 125 cities in Phase 1, covering approximately 35 Lakh Street vendors and their families.
22.5 lakh scheme sanctions have been extended to them including 16 lakh insurance benefits under Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeeban Jyoti Yojana and 2.7 Lakh pension benefits under Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan Yojana, amongst other such benefits.
Considering the success of Phase I, MoHUA launched the program expansion to additional 126 cities with an aim to cover 28 Lakh Street vendors and their families, with a total target of 20 Lakh scheme sanctions for FY 2022-23. The remaining cities would be gradually added to the program.
MoHUA has been implementing Prime Minister Street Vendors AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi), a Central Sector Scheme since 1st June 2020. The scheme aims to provide an affordable working capital loan to Street Vendors and has successfully crossed the 30 Lakh mark.
As envisioned by the Honourable Prime Minister, the scheme aims to not only extend loans to street vendors, but also aims for their holistic development and economic upliftment. Keeping this in mind, ‘‘SVANidhi se Samriddhi’ program was started to provide social security benefits to street vendors for their holistic development and socio-economic upliftment.
Secretary, MoHUA in his address stated that in one year of its implementation, despite the challenges posed due to COVID-19 pandemic in the year 2020-21, the program was successful in providing social security benefits to the street vendor families and thereby protecting them from any risks and vulnerabilities of life and livelihoods.
Joshi urged officials of participating Central Ministries and States/UTs to strive towards achieving holistic development of street vendors of our cities and once again make this program a success.
