Kota wants Nirmala Sitharaman’s intervention for hassle-free loan disbursal to Vishwakarma beneficiaries

Kota Srinivas Poojary, Udupi Chikkamagaluru MP, on Tuesday urged Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to direct nationalised banks to advance loans to beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Scheme without any demur.

Kota Srinivas Poojary, Udupi Chikkamagaluru MP, on Tuesday urged Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to direct nationalised banks to advance loans to beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Scheme without any demur.

Meeting Ms. Sitharaman in New Delhi, the MP said while over 11 lakh people have applied for the scheme across Karnataka, nearly 60,000 people from economically weaker sections have applied for it in his constituency. More than 7,000 selected beneficiaries have already undergone training for various artisan skills, he said.

While a few nationalised banks were responding positively to applications for financial assistance, some other banks were indulging in delaying tactics, including demanding affidavit on stamp papers of higher denominations than the prescribed ₹250, seeking GST bills, quoting credit Information Bureau (India) Ltd., score for having delayed repayment during COVID-19 to deny loan etc. Thus, the artisans were being made to wait endlessly by Banks, Mr. Poojary regretted.

In this background, banks should be directed to advance loans without any reservation to the beneficiaries of the scheme as the Central government has stood guarantee for it.

Ms. Sitharaman responded positively and said she would arrange to issue necessary directions, said a statement from the MP office.