30 pick-up trucks released under zero-interest loan scheme in Nagaland

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Sep. 8 (EMN): Thirty vehicles (Mahindra Bolero pick-up trucks) were provided to 30 village-level organisations (VLO) covering 29 blocks, by the Nagaland State Rural Livelihoods Mission (NSRLM) under the Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (Agey) scheme, in Kohima on Tuesday.

The department said that the 30 beneficiaries have been given interest-free loans under the scheme. The loan term is for six years within which the payment has to be cleared.

Agey is a sub-scheme implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) to facilitate transport facilities in the rural areas and also to provide job opportunities to members of self-help groups (SHGs) under DAY-NRLM.

It stated that the objective of the scheme is to provide an alternative source of livelihood to members of SHGs under NRLM by facilitating them to operate public transport services and also to provide safe, affordable and community-monitored transport services to connect villages for overall economic development of the area by making use of the supports available within the framework of NRLM.

NSRLM, which is the implementing agency for DAY-NRLM, said that the scheme will greatly ease the burden of transportation, especially of SHG products and produce, besides providing earning opportunity to the rural poor.

The scheme was flagged off by Metsubo Jamir, Minister of Rural Development.

“Even during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Naga women have taken lead in caring for the vulnerable persons and were instrumental in keeping the community resilient and safe through IEC (Information Education Communication) dissemination,” he said and encouraged the SHG across Nagaland to continue providing critical services in their villages.

Jamir urged the state mission to sincerely monitor the progress of the scheme, being the nodal agency, and ensure that it is successful so that similar type of schemes can be ‘received in the future to help the poor and marginalised sections of the society’.

The joint secretary RD and mission director of NSRLM, Imtimenla, informed that the Community Investment Fund (CIF), with INR 255 lakh, was earmarked by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) solely with the purpose of creating a corpus fund.

The dedicated Agey CIF of INR 8.5 lakh will be given as interest-free loan to members of SHGs and the expected time for repayment will be five years, during which the recipient shall bear all operational costs of the vehicles including insurance, road tax, permit and any other maintenance that may be required, she maintained.

It is expected that there will be funds available every five years for purchase of new vehicles for other new beneficiaries and this fund cannot be utilised for any other purpose, she added.

According to her, the SHG will run the vehicle on pre-approved and determined routes and charges will be fixed jointly by the operator in co-ordination with the Transport department and the state mission.

Imtimenla informed that beneficiaries under Agey were selected based on their poverty status and their capability to operate the vehicles and similarly, selection of blocks were done keeping in mind the topography of the particular area where transportation and communication are a challenge.

She asserted that the scheme is a job-provider as only trained and experienced drivers possessing valid driver’s license will be engaged to run the vehicle and the salaries of the drivers will be borne out of the earnings from the operation of the vehicles; and also the district and block should ensure that the drivers do not have prior criminal or driving under influence (DUI) related incidents record.

She informed that a monthly progress report will be submitted by the blocks, which will then be uploaded to the NRLM Management Information System (MIS).

“The state mission is also hoping that the remaining 45 blocks will also be reached out if the ministry extends this noble programme in future. Similar need for reaching out to the remaining blocks has also been proposed under the economic roadmap to the state government,” she added.