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The National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation, NBCFDC, has directed the State Channelising Agencies (SCAs) to establish linkages for upgradation of traditional skill of the artisans. Stating this while addressing the meeting of Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to her Ministry here on Friday, the Minister for Social Justice and Employment, Smt. Meira Kumar said that Rashtriya Manav Sangrahlaya, Bhopal and National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad have been approached by NBCFDC through SCAs for the purpose. She said that one programme on Phulkari has already been completed at Rashtriya Manav Sangrahlaya The Minister said that similar efforts are being made in collaboration with Apparel Training and Design Centre, National Institute of Fashion Technology etc. This has been done in consonance with suggestions made by the Members during the last Parliamentary Consultative Committee meeting in May this year.
It was revealed during the meeting that the NBCFDC has during the 10th Plan till 31st March this year provided loans worth Rs. 350.45 crore for financially assisting 2.33 lakh beneficiaries belonging to backward classes. The Corporation has a target to disburse Rs. 511 crore for assisting 3.10 lakh beneficiaries living below double the poverty line during the current Plan. It was stated that a cumulative disbursement of loan has touched Rs. 992.01 crore assisting 6.14 beneficiaries in 27 States and Union Territories. The meeting was told that cumulative recovery from SCAs is 87 per cent.
Referring to Micro Finance Scheme, it was stated that the Corporation has dispersed over Rs. 65 crore to assist over 1.4 lakh beneficiaries of the target group. Special emphasis has been on providing concessional finance @ 4% per annum to the poorest among the poor women of the backward classes under Mahila Samridhi Yojana. The Corporation has so far assisted over one lakh such women with an amount of Rs. 47 crore.
The Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment Smt Subhalakshmi Jagadeesan said that NCFDC’s New Swarnima Yojna would greatly help the women beneficiaries in rural areas.
The Members called for creating widespread awareness about the programmes and schemes among the target groups. They suggested effective use of television, regional newspapers and panchayats for this purpose. They called for increasing the number of beneficiaries particularly in areas having substantial backward classes population. The Members wanted that the Corporation should get a survey conducted to know how many beneficiaries have crossed the poverty line. One of the Members suggested that education loans provided by the Corporation should be as per the Supreme Court guidelines and repayment period should begin one year after completion of studies.
The Members of Parliament, Sh. Virchandra Paswan, Sh. Radhey Shyam Kori, Sh. B. K. Hariprasad, Sh. Pyarimohan Mohapatra and Smt. Mohsina Kidwai and senior officials of the Ministry and NBCFDC participated in the Meeting.
MLD:LK:sje-24(23.7)
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