National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC), under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, implements schemes for self-employment of Scheduled Tribes by providing concessional loan to individuals or groups of STs for undertaking Income Generation Activities. This financial assistance is extended through State Channelising Agencies and PSU Banks/ RRBs having refinance agreements with NSTFDC throughout India for eligible STs upto Double the Poverty Line limit which is Rs 98,000/- p.a. for rural areas and Rs 1,20,000/- p.a. for urban areas.

The prominent schemes of NSTFDC are:

• Term Loan scheme: NSTFDC provides Term Loan for any income generation scheme costing upto Rs 25.00 lakhs per unit. The financial assistance is extended upto 90% of the cost of the scheme and the balance is met by way of subsidy/ promoter’s contribution/ margin money. The interest rate chargeable is 6% p.a. for loan upto Rs 5 lakhs, 8% p.a. for loans ranging between Rs 5 lakhs to Rs 10 lakhs and 10% p.a. for loan exceeding Rs10 lakhs on the entire amount of loan.
• Adivasi MahilaSashaktikaranYojana (AMSY): Under the scheme, Scheduled Tribes women can undertake any income generation activity. Loans upto 90% for scheme costing upto Rs1 lakh are provided at a concessional rate of interest of 4% p.a.
• Micro Credit Scheme for Self Help Groups: The Corporation provides loans upto Rs 50,000/- per member and Rs 5 Lakhs per Self Help Group (SHG). The interest rate chargeable is 6% p.a.
• Adivasi ShikshaRrinnYojana: Under this scheme, financial assistance upto Rs 5.00 lakh at concessional rate of interest of 6% per annum is provided to ST students for pursuing professional/ technical education including Ph.D. in India. Ministry of Human Resources Development, Govt. of India provides interest subsidy for this scheme, whereby, no interest is payable by a student during the course period and one year or six months after getting the job, as the case may be. There is also a provision for providing further concessional finance for undertaking any income generation activity after completion of studies.
• Tribal Forest Dwellers Empowerment Scheme: Under the scheme, NSTFDC provides financial assistance to Scheduled Tribes given land rights under Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. Loan upto 90% of the scheme costing upto Rs1 lakh can be provided at rate of interest of 6% p.a. This is a new scheme introduced and NSTFDC has requested the SCAs to implement the same.
• Scheme for NGOs/ EVAs: This is a newly launched scheme under which NSTFDC provides loans upto Rs 50,000/- per member and Rs 5 Lakhs per Self Help Group (SHG) through NGOs/ EVAs. The interest rate chargeable is 12% p.a. from members of SHGs against which they will get an interest incentive of 4% on timely payment thus making the effective rate of interest to 8%.

 This information was given by Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Jaswantsinh Bhabhor in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

 Samir/JD/jk

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