The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Vijayawada News : Women groups want Velugu to continue

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 08, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

Women groups want Velugu to continue

By Our Special Correspondent

VIJAYAWADA, DEC. 7. The inordinate delay in availing financial assistance through the Velugu programme notwithstanding, the beneficiaries under the scheme are favouring the continuation of the scheme as it was helping them start their own business. If not in the entire State, a majority of beneficiaries in some mandals of the Krishna district say so.

Interacting with mediapersons at Jaggayyapet mandal office on Tuesday, the members of the Mahila Sanghams expressed their strong support to the continuation of the programme as it was helping them stand on their feet and there were enough safeguards to ensure that it was not misused.

Good response

Duly following the guidelines of the programme, women from several villages like Malkapuram and Balusupadu, all members of the self-help groups in their respective areas, formed several committees and assigned them various tasks such as purchases, marketing, supervision as well as loan recovery. And, with the women taking the initiative to secure loans as well as ensure their proper use, the loan recovery rate from these villages, according to the Velugu Project Director, Vani Mohan, was over 95 per cent.

Complaints

There were minor irritants with some groups complaining about the delay in sanctioning loans and denial of three per cent per annum interest rates for groups which obtained loans before July this year. The members opting for new loans also complained that the banks were not implementing the slashed interest rates on the loans obtained by them.

Official clarifies

Ms. Vani Mohan, however, explained that loans would be sanctioned by the banks after the respective village organisation certified them taking into account factors like seniority and this was one factor leading to delays in the sanction of loans.

On the three per cent interest rate, she said that in tune with the Government's guidelines to extend the benefit to only such loans obtained after July 1 this year, the authorities were asking the women to repay their previous loans and go for fresh loans to avail the benefit.

The orders facilitating the three per cent interest rate for DWCRA women had been issued recently and it would be communicated to the concerned bank branches shortly.

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