ZIRO, 4 Nov: “Our local markets are the window to the world and visitors should be made to feel good and comfortable while shopping at our local markets,” said Lower Subansiri Deputy Commissioner Bamin Nime here on Friday.
While distributing smart cards and certificates to vendors of the district, the DC urged the vendors to use their cards “prudently and wisely, in order to avail bigger loans from the banks for their business ventures.” He also enjoined them to keep their surroundings neat and clean.
“Let us learn and emulate the clean and visitor-friendly markets of West Kameng and Tawang districts, where foreigners also frequent,” he said, emphasising that “the markets here should also be kept neat and clean for visitors and shoppers alike.”
Advocating regular and on-time repayment of their loans, Nime also appealed to the vendors to “conduct regular social service of their premises to keep their surroundings clean.”
UD & Housing Executive Engineer Nich Jacob informed that 372 street vendors from the district have been identified under the PM Street Vendor’s Atmanirbhar Nidhi, which is a special micro-credit facility for street vendors under the Atmanirbhar Bharat scheme. Of them, 247 have been recommended for bank loans and 149 have been sanctioned loans so far.
Under the scheme, which is funded in the ratio of 75:25 by the Centre and the state, an individual can approach for setting up micro-enterprises to the tune of Rs 2 lakhs, while a group enterprise can approach for bank loans up to Rs 10 lakhs. The annual rate of interest on the loan is 7 percent and the repayment period ranges from five to seven years. (DIPRO)
