PM SVANidhi Benefits Over 57 Lakh Street Vendors Nationwide: Hardeep Puri

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 30th Dec. Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs and Petroleum & Natural Gas, inaugurated the National Street Food Festival 2023 on Friday.

The festival is being organized by the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) from December 29 to December 31, 2023 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

Puri extended his best wishes to the street food vendors from all 28 states.

In his speech, the Union Minister emphasized the importance of the Prime Minister Street Vendors AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme in empowering street vendors. He mentioned that the scheme, launched during the COVID pandemic, has provided financial assistance and expanded market reach for street vendors. It has disbursed loans, facilitated digital transactions, and opened doors to food delivery platforms.

Puri shared the achievements of the scheme, stating that it has benefited 57.83 lakh street vendors. He mentioned that 80.77 lakh loans have been sanctioned, and 76.22 lakh loans worth Rs. 10,058 crores have been disbursed. He also highlighted that 45% of the loans have been given to women street vendors, and 72% of the beneficiaries are from marginalized sections.

The National Street Food Festival 2023 is the first “Zero Waste Street Food Festival” in India. Puri commended NASVI for aligning the festival with India’s Swachhata movement. He also praised NASVI for providing training in food safety and hygiene to 1,50,000 street vendors.

Additionally, he mentioned the upcoming launch of two Regional Street Food Vendors Training Institutes (SVTI) in Delhi and Patna in 2024. These institutes will focus on culinary skills, food safety, and hygiene.