Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday chaired a review meeting of the saturation drive of various Central Government’s Flagship Schemes in Puducherry in the presence of Hon’ble Chief Minister of Puducherry Mr. N. Rangaswamy, Council of Ministers and other senior officials of the government of the Union Territory.
The saturation drive in Puducherry was initiated in February 2023 at the behest of the Union Finance Minister with the assistance and support of the Government of Puducherry, the Department of Financial Services, Banks and other institutions.
The idea was to maximise the reach of the Union Government’s flagship schemes to all the eligible beneficiaries in the Union Territory, in line with the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The parameters for the saturation drive were devised in consultation with different stakeholders including NITI Aayog, the Department of Financial Services (DFS), and the Government of Puducherry.
It was highlighted in the meeting that after Sitharaman’s call for better implementation of centrally sponsored and financial inclusion schemes of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Government, Puducherry had made remarkable progress and has risen in the ranks among the Union Territories since the initiation of the saturation drive at the behest of the Union Finance Minister.
Puducherry has outshined the national average in many parameters of flagship schemes per lakh population in the last four months.
After the review meeting, Sitharaman also participated in a Credit Outreach Programme at Tagore Arts College, Lawspet (Puducherry), where beneficiaries received sanction letters from various banks under different schemes.
The total amount sanctioned is Rs 2628.38 crore to 1.41 lakh beneficiaries (approximately) under MUDRA, Stand-Up, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), PM SVANidhi, PMEGP (PM Employment Guarantee Programme), KCC (Crop & Animal Husbandry) & Miscellaneous Retail loans etc.
Among the 1.41 lakh loan accounts being sanctioned today, more than 1 lakh loan accounts pertain to Agriculture, Animal Husbandry & Fisheries.
During the event, Sitharaman sanction letters to various beneficiaries, totalling to Rs 49.58 crore under RIDF, for augmentation of water supply system at Veerampattinam, Ariyankuppam and Thirumalairayanpattinam, supported by NABARD. She also handed over sanction letters to FPOs through NABKISAN, a subsidiary of NABARD, totalling Rs 50 lakh to Karaikal Marutham FPCL, Karaikal and Thirukameswarar Hitech Agro FPCL.
The Finance Minister handed over a cheque of Rs 10.25 lakh to the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare, Puducherry for five defibrillators sponsored by Indian Bank under its CSR initiative for improving health infrastructure in the Union Territory.