New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday said the pace of enrolment for the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) to help small entrepreneurs had not picked up the way he expected it to.
‘‘Though the Mudra (Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency) Yojana is in place to help small entrepreneurs, the speed at which I want to go with it has not been attained,” Modi said in his Mann Ki Baat address on All India Radio.
‘‘But the beginning is good. So far 66 lakh people have benefited … with Rs 42,000crore spent. I am happy to announce that out of 66 lakh people, 24 lakh are women,” he said.
‘‘The majority of these beneficiaries are from among the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Class people who stand up and take responsibility to take care of their families.
‘‘…PMMY funds the unfunded and is focused on empowering people in the true sense,” he said.
‘‘It provides a boost to three Es – Enterprises, Earning and Empowerment. The scheme encourages enterprises, provides opportunity for earning, and empowers people. It is helping small entrepreneurs.’’
‘‘The scheme is trying to help small workers such as barbers, laundrymen, milkmen, newspaper vendors…’’
The Prime Minister said: ‘‘I got to know of Mamata Sharma from Bhopal, who got Rs 40,000 from the MUDRA Yojana. She is now running a business of making wallets. She used to make wallets earlier too and had a lot of problems because of heavy interest rates,’’ he said.
The PMMY, under the MUDRA Bank, has been created for the development and refinancing of micro units.
Modi pat for Jamuna:
Modi praised an ASHA worker from Balasore district for her fight against Malaria in her Tendagaon village. Jamuna Mani Singh has resolved not to allow a single malaria related death in her village. ‘‘I honour all Asha workers through Jamuna Mani,” said Modi .
The state government has also felicitated Jamuna for her dedication and endeavour.