Micro-finance Loans: Assam Govt Announces Eligibility Criteria for Waiver

Guwahati: Assam Minister for Guwahati Development Department and Chairman of the committee to look into waiver of loan for women who took loan from micro finance units said on Saturday June 12 that all women who took loan from micro-finance institutions in recent times, will not receive waiver from the Assam government. The government has prepared an 'eligibility criteria' for awarding the waiver.

Granting waiver to women who had taken loan from micro-finance institutions is a poll promise of the BJP made ahead of the Assam Elections 2021. Accordingly, after the formation of the new government, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had formed a committee headed by Minister Singhal to look into the matter of microfinance borrowers and suggest ways for extending waiver to them. The committee has completed its task within a month and submitted its recommended as to who should get the loan-waiver.

Addressing a press meet today in Guwahati, Minister Singhal announced the 'eligibility criteria' prepared by the government. He categorically stated that a woman must fulfil the criteria for receiving the government waiver which has drawn sharp reactions from various quarters. Many women-groups have vented anger against the government and appealed to the Chief Minister to fulfil the election-promise. "The government will only waive the loans of those whose annual earnings are less then Rs. 1 lakh. No micro-finance borrowers, who took loan more than once, will not be eligible for the waiver," the Minster added.

The other criteria announced by the Minister are:

• A woman will not be eligible for the waiver, if a member of her family pays income tax.
• The families who own four wheelers will not get the waiver.
• If two members of a same family took loan from micro-finance institutions, then they will not get the waiver benefit.

The minister said that various micro-finance institutions have distributed loans of more than Rs.1000 crores in recent times. During the recently concluded Assembly elections campaign, the BJP had promised that the party would completely waive off the loans if voted back to power.

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