CM Himanta Biswa Sarma launches microfinance relief scheme

OUR CORRESPONDENT

TEZPUR: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today inaugurated the ambitious Assam Micro Finance Incentive and Relief Scheme-2021 at Collegiate High School playground in Tezpur. He ceremonially distributed cheques to five beneficiaries in the programme.

The scheme would benefit 24 lakh women in the state, while 59,468 women would receive reliefs amounting to Rs 16,000-Rs 25,000 in the Sonitpur district.

Today the Chief Minister inaugurated the first phase of the scheme for those borrowers who have been repaying microfinance and bank loans regularly. They will get a one-time incentive up to Rs 25,000 or an outstanding balance, whichever is less. It is an incentive for them to continue maintaining good credit discipline. A total of 11 lakh women would benefit during this phase of the scheme.

In November, the beneficiaries of eight districts – Sonitpur, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Majuli, Golaghat, West Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao – will get their due incentives through account-payee cheques.

In the second phase, relief will go to borrowers whose payments are overdue by 1-89 days, and overdue accounts, but not NPA. The State Government will pay the overdue amounts. In the third phase, the scheme will cover the borrowers who are stressed, destitute and whose accounts have become NPAs. The government will consider providing partial or full relief based on the evaluation.

The Chief Minister said that the State government would fulfil its election promise of microfinance loan relief within six months, and continue to march forward with the same zeal in the future. He also announced that the government would fulfil the commitment of providing one lakh jobs before May 10 next year. He said that every poor household in the state would come under the ambit of the Arunoday scheme with the addition of 5,000 additional beneficiaries in every constituency.

He also announced several developmental schemes for Tezpur town at the programme.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister inaugurated a 30-bed Paediatric ICU (PICU), a 30-bed ICU and 24 residential quarters for the professors at Tezpur Medical College and Hospital. There are 15 ICU beds and 15 step-down beds at the paediatric ICU. Set up with an investment of Rs. 4.45 crore, the PICU is expected to fulfil the requirements of child treatment to a great extent.

On the other hand, the Covid isolation ward in the Medical College is now a 30 bed ICU block given growing demands, a press release said.

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