New Delhi: In a move that could revolutionize the way street vendors operate, the government is working on a project to enable online delivery platform for them, on lines of big restaurants.
Prime Minister said this while addressing over 1 lakh street vendors of Madhya Pradesh benefiting from PM Street Vendors’ Atmanirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme via video conferencing.
PM Modi praised the MP government for facilitating the benefits of scheme to more than a lakh people and providing identity cards to as many as 4.5 lakh in just two months.
PM SVANidhi scheme was launched by Centre on June 1 to provide assistance to street vendors, whose livelihood got severly impacted by Covid-19 pandemic.
PM Modi also said that efforts are underway to facilitate an online delivery platform, through which street food vendors can deliver online just like big restaurants.
“A scheme has been prepared to provide an online platform to street food vendors by using technology. This means, the street food vendors will be able to make online delivery like big restaurants. Efforts are being made to provide this kind of facility,” said PM Modi after his interaction with the street vendors via video conference.
PM Modi also urged the street vendors to adopt the digital payment system.
“The use of digital payment has increased during the past three-four years. Its importance was realised during the corona (COVID-19 outbreak) period. Now customers avoid making payment in cash and pay directly through mobile phone,” he said.
PM Modi informed the beneficiaries that a new beginning has been made in collaboration with banks and digital payment facilitators to ensure that the street vendors do not remain left out in digital shop-keeping. Now, the representatives of banks and institutions will come to your street, cart and give QR code.
Interacting with beneficiaries of PM-SVANidhi. Watch. #AatmaNirbharVendor https://t.co/96ZeYL3yw1
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 9, 2020
The government launched the PM SVANidhi scheme with easy rules so that they can get rid of paying interest on loans which they used to take from private lenders.
“You are getting a rebate of 7% in interest in these loans (under the scheme). If you repay to the bank on time, you will get more facilities. If you make digital transaction, you will get rewarded for it and you get more loan next time, he said.
Under the PM SVANidhi scheme, the street vendors can take loans and stay liberated from the clutches of money lenders.
The Prime Minister also said that villages will also be associated with online marketing platforms.
“On August 15, we took a vow to connect all villages with the optical fibre network in next 1,000 days. People will also get digital health identity cards for getting health facilities in rural areas also,” he said.
Speaking about other schemes, PM Modi said, “One Country, One Ration Card” scheme has also been launched and it allow you to get your share of cheap ration anywhere in the country. Applications of 2.45 lakh eligible beneficiaries of the scheme have been presented through the portal to banks for credit facility, out of which acceptance has been granted to around 1.4 lakh street vendors.
