Shimla,28 June 2021
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has thanked the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur for announcing relief package focusing on Covid-19 related relief measures for the country.
The Chief Minister said that the package of Rs. 1.1 lakh crore loan guarantee scheme for sectors affected by Covid-19 would give new impetus to revive the economy badly affected due to pandemic. Out of this, the Union Government has provided Rs. 50,000 crore to health sector for scaling up health infrastructure and Rs. 60,000 crore to other sectors, he added.
Jai Ram Thakur said that the New Credit Guarantee Scheme launched to provide loans to small borrowers via micro finance institutions would go a long way in providing succour to the individuals and small entrepreneurs. Under this scheme, maximum loan to individual would be Rs. 1.25 lakh at interest rate below two percent as prescribed by RBI. He said that the new scheme to revive tourism with 100 percent guaranteed loans would help hoteliers substantially in running their business smoothly. He said that financial support to more than 11,000 registered tourist guides, travel and tourism stakeholders would also help the youth to start their own self employment ventures.
The Chief Minister also thanked the Union Government for extending Aatm Nirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana from 30 June, 2021 to 31 March, 2022. He said that more than 21.4 lakh people of nearly 80,000 establishments have already benefited from the scheme.
Jai Ram Thakur thanked the Union Government for providing free food grains to the poor from May to November, 2021 under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana which would go a long way in helping the poor needy in this hour of pandemic. He said that under this scheme, about Rs. 2.28 lakh crore would be spent on providing free ration to the poor.
He also thanked the Central Government for allocating Rs. 23,220 crore for public health, with sharp focus on child and paediatrics care. He said that the scheme would include human resource augmentation to rope in medical students, nurses, strengthening of infrastructure like ICU beds, ambulances, oxygen supply, equipment and medicines.