Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant said the Goa Government’s loan waiver scheme was aimed at providing financial relief to people from marginalised communities who have remained burdened by loans for several years.
Addressing a function organised by the Goa State SC and Other Backward Classes Financial Development Corporation Ltd. at IMB, Panaji, Sawant said the government follows the principle of Bahujan Hitay, Bahujan Sukhay and remains committed to protecting the interests of the common people.
The Chief Minister said the loan waiver initiative would provide relief to beneficiaries who had availed themselves of financial assistance for business activities through the corporation but had subsequently fallen into long-term loan default.
The scheme covers beneficiaries from communities including Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, Divyangjan and Safai Karamcharis, who are facing financial hardship.
Sawant said the government had also provided different recovery options to beneficiaries with the objective of reducing their financial burden.
He said various schemes implemented by different government departments were aimed at strengthening the social and economic empowerment of Bahujan communities.
New scheme for students
The Chief Minister also announced the Mukhyamantri Bahujan Utkarsh Yojana, under which financial assistance will be provided to Bahujan students pursuing higher studies abroad.
Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phaldesai said the government was committed to ensuring that every section of society benefited from its welfare policies.
He said the Social Welfare Department was implementing several schemes aimed at the empowerment and development of weaker sections and expressed confidence that the loan waiver initiative would provide beneficiaries with much-needed relief.
Corporation Chairman Dayanand Mandrekar thanked the government for its support in implementing the loan waiver scheme, which has benefited 490 beneficiaries by relieving them of their loan burden.
Sawant subsequently distributed loan waiver certificates and orders under the Graha Suraksha Yojana to beneficiaries.
Minister for Water Resources Subhash Shirodkar, corporation Managing Director Dipesh Priolkar, Social Welfare Director Dipak Desai, members of the corporation’s board of directors and others were present at the function.
