Jammu Mayor educates Safai Saathis on welfare measures for upliftment

‘If one has confidence, none can stop him in J&K to progress’

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: The Mayor of Jammu city, Rajinder Sharma on Monday educated Safai Saathis regarding welfare measures already put in place by the government for the upliftment of poor masses.
Officers from SC, ST Development Corporation, J&K Bank, Revenue Department, Social Welfare Department and other line departments were present on the occasion to enlighten the Safai Saathis in this regard.
About 700 Safai Saathis attended programme and were made aware by the officers from different departments regarding welfare schemes of the government for them.
Encouraging Safai Saathis, the Mayor said, “In Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory if one has self confidence then in the present regime none can stop anyone to progress because the government presently has given so many facilities.”
He further said that Education Loan for the members minority communities is available on a meagre 3 per cent interest which has to be paid annually for which the repayment is to be made on getting job and after completing education those getting the loan are given 6 months to get job after which repayment of loan starts.
“Apart from this, if someone wishes to get a loan for skill development purpose same is given on subsidy and on a loan of upto Rs. 2 lakh there is 25 per cent subsidy,” the Mayor maintained adding, “If someone has to start a production unit then under PM Entrepreneurship Development Programme Rs. 50 lakh loan is available with 25 per cent subsidy while for women the subsidy is 35 per cent.”
He informed that in similar manner the government has also started certain small skill developmental programmes after completion which provision of subsidised loan per cent remains there.
In a startling exposure, Sharma informed that earlier if a Safai Saathi has to get a loan of Rs. one lakh then he has to pay Rs. 20,000 to the middleman agent as commission and Rs. 500 each to two witnesses for putting signatures on the loan form resulting which only Rs. 79000 was given to the Safai Saathi while he was to repay with interest whole amount of Rs. one lakh. Putting an end on this exploitation, the Mayor ensured online loan provision for Safai Saathis from JK Bank without any role of middlemen.
He said that synchronisation of data of Safai Saatins has been done with J&K Bank and loan can even be available on phone also which will benefit the otherwise exploited section.
“Apart from all this every year about 5000 people go outside J&K under PM Special Scholarship Scheme for which they have not to pay any boarding-lodging expenses,” Mayor Rajinder Sharma continued adding, “There is also the facility of Rs. 25 lakh Group Insurance for Safai Saathis from JK Bank and if any untoward incident happens with the Safai Saathi same amount remains available for them.”