Union Home and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah addressed the Sneh Milan program with the beneficiaries of PM-Swanidhi Scheme and their families in Ahmedabad, Gujarat today. Many dignitaries including Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel were present on this occasion.

In his address, Shri Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has made such arrangements in the country that for the next 5 years, 80 crore poor people will get 5 kg of free food grains per person per month. He said that for decades there was a class in the country, which had contributed to the development of the country through its hard work and sweat. Home Minister said that it is for this category that Prime Minister Modi brought PM-Swanidhi scheme and under this scheme, small loans were arranged for these people to start work.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that across the country Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has done the work of giving loans to more than 1.5 lakh small traders in a single city. He said that no one has as much authenticity as a trader who supports his family through small business. He said that now small street vendors go to banks to take loans and proudly say that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is the guarantor of their loans. Shri Shah said that these people returned the loan even before the tenure of the loan was over. He said that Prime Minister Modi has also done the work of taking these small traders into the digital age. He said that today small traders across the country get loans without any guarantee and the loan money comes directly into their bank accounts. Home Minister added that as a result of the steps taken by Prime Minister Modi to make this class self-reliant, these people are now associated with the development of the country's economy. He said that the PM-Swanidhi scheme has brought a sense of self-respect and dignity in the lives of the poor and their family members are also moving forward by becoming self-reliant.

Shri Amit Shah said that due to the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the poor class of the country has been able to complete the journey from self-funding to self-employment, self-employment to self-reliance and from self-reliance to self-respect today. He said that under this scheme, arrangements have been made to get working capital up to Rs 50,000 at one percent interest, 7 percent annual interest subsidy on regular payments and Rs 1200 return per year on doing digital transactions. He said that so far loan applications have been received from one crore people in Gujarat, out of which 76 lakh people have been given loans and 45 percent of them are women. He said that 5 digital companies have tied up with about 40 lakh small merchants under the Swanidhi scheme and all these people have joined digital payments.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has worked to bring changes in the entire India in the last 10 years. He said that under the PM-Swanidhi scheme, work has been done to provide loans worth more than Rs 772 crore to 6 lakh people of Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency. He said that in Ahmedabad alone, the work of giving interest subsidy of Rs 3.25 crore has been done under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi ji and more than 70 thousand people have received cashback of Rs 2 crore through QR code. Shri Shah said that the figures prove that even a small trader can make a huge contribution to the country's economy. He said that along with Swanidhi Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Shramyogi Maandhan Yojana, Janani Suraksha Yojana and One Nation One Ration Card schemes have benefited crores of people of the country. Home Minister said that now wherever a person goes in the entire country, he can get his share of food grains at that place, such arrangement has been made under One Nation, One Ration Card.

Shri Amit Shah said that the Gujarat government has done the work of taking all the government schemes to more than 90 percent saturation level and seven schemes to 100 percent saturation level in Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency. He said that within Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency alone, there are 5,80,000 citizens who have got the benefit of some government scheme or the other. He said that Modi ji has done the work of providing benefits to lakhs of people in a single Lok Sabha constituency. Shri Shah said that Modi ji has imagined a self-reliant India and under this the aim is to make 140 crore people of India and every poor person self-reliant in the fields of space, military, industry etc. He said that Prime Minister Shri Modi ji has provided the poorest of the poor in the country an opportunity to live with dignity. He said that under the Vishwakarma scheme brought by Modi ji, work is being done to provide special training, tool kit costing Rs 15,000 and loan of Rs 2 lakh to all the artisans. Shri Shah said that Prime Minister Modi believes that every person in the society should live with dignity, become self-reliant, educate his children and become a healthy citizen.

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