Dalit entrepreneurs in the State, who are being given loan of up to Rs. 1 crore each under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet scheme, Stand Up India, will be provided a subsidy of up to Rs. 35 lakh by the Scheduled Castes Cooperative Finance Corporation, according to its Vice-Chairman and Managing Director G.S.R.K.R. Vijaykumar.

“Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has cleared the relevant file,” he said while addressing a women empowerment programme here on October 22 .

Under the scheme, Dalits and women could obtain loan in the range of Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 1 crore for setting up a new enterprise.

Dalits could get loan of Rs. 368 crore in Prakasam district alone, with each bank branch directed to give loan of up to Rs. 1 crore to one SC/ST member and one woman entrepreneur, he said.

SC/STs and women entrepreneurs would be provided hand-holding, including training and marketing, to run their enterprises successfully, he added.

The Chief Minister, who pioneered the self-help group movement, also decided to entrust the SHGs with the task of preparing Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for viable economic ventures, and they would be paid Rs. 10,000 per DPR,  Vijaykumar said.

SHG women, who proved their leadership qualities, should don bigger roles to prove themselves as entrepreneurs, he said during his interaction with them.

Land allotment

In another major step to empower Dalits, the limit on purchase of land by the corporation for distribution among Dalits would shortly be enhanced to Rs. 18 lakh.

Each Dalit would get 3 acres in the case of dry land and one acre if it was a wet land, he said. In case the land remained in disuse, the beneficiary would be provided Rs. 2 lakh each for sinking borewell.

In all, 10,000 youths in each district would be imparted appropriate skills this year so as to help them land decent jobs, he added.

Source: The Hindu