Corporation providing loans at cheaper rates to minorities and disabled for self-employment: Dr. Rajiv Saizal

Shimla : A meeting of Himachal Pradesh Minority Finance and Development Corporation was held here today under the Chairmanship of Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dr. Rajiv Saizal. He directed the officers to ensure that the benefits of welfare schemes of the state government should reach to all the minorities so that they could be brought to the mainstream.He said that the leaders of the concerned community should work together to ensure that the minorities could avail maximum benefits of various welfare schemes.The Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment said that the benefits of various welfare schemes of the government should also be extended to the minority people of Lahaul Spiti and Kinnaur district with special emphasis. He said that efforts should also be made that people belonging to minority sections like Muslims, Buddhists and Sikh of the state get the benefits of welfare schemes of the government.He said that the corporation is providing loan facility to minority communities and specially-abled people at affordable rates for self-employment and higher education. The corporation has so far given loans of Rs. 50.68 crore to 2664 persons from minority communities and Rs. 39.29 crore to 1605 disabled under various schemes. Apart from this, loans worth Rs. 0.58 crore have been provided to 24 minority children for education and Rs. 0.7 crore to three disabled children. Total loans of Rs. 90.63 crore have been provided by the corporation to 4296 minority, disabled and children for self-employment and education.He said that for the financial year 2020-21, the officers of the corporation need to make continuous efforts to achieve the annual target of Rs. 5 crore to 333 minority community beneficiaries and Rs. 3 crore to 300 beneficiaries of PwDs so that people of far-flung areas of the state can get benefit of the loan schemes of the corporation during Corona pandemic.Member of the Board of Directors and Additional Chief Secretary Social Justice and Empowerment Nisha Singh and other senior officials were present in the meeting.