The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has embarked on a transformative journey to empower urban India through two pioneering initiatives - the PM SVANidhi Scheme and Meri Life, Mera Swachh Shahar. These visionary programs aim to revolutionize the lives of street vendors and urban local bodies, ushering in a new era of financial inclusivity and sustainable development.
With the launch of these initiatives, MoHUA has taken a significant stride towards fostering economic growth, social empowerment, and cleanliness in urban areas. By providing collateral-free loans to street vendors and facilitating the implementation of sanitation projects, the government aims to create a more vibrant, self-sufficient, and environmentally conscious urban landscape, paving the way for a brighter future for all urban dwellers. Let’s read the PM SVANidhi Scheme & Meri Life, Mera Swachh Shahar in detail from below.
PM SVANIDHI SCHEME
The Prime Minister Street Vendor's Atma Nirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme was introduced by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on June 01, 2020. The scheme aims to support street vendors who were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic by providing collateral-free working capital loans. Initially offering loans up to Rs 10,000 for one year, the scheme later introduced higher loan amounts of Rs 20,000 and Rs 50,000 in subsequent tranches, which vendors can avail after repaying earlier loans.
To incentivize timely repayments, the scheme provides an interest subsidy of 7% per annum and cashback on digital transactions up to Rs 1,200 per year. As of August 2, 2023, Andhra Pradesh has sanctioned 2,62,811 loans under this scheme. The responsibility for identifying eligible street vendors and processing new applications lies with State/Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), and the Ministry actively conducts review meetings and awareness campaigns to increase the number of beneficiaries.
'Meri Life, Mera Swachh Shehar' CAMPAIGN
The 'Meri Life, Mera Swachh Shehar' campaign was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on May 15, 2023. The campaign lasted for three weeks until World Environment Day on June 5, 2023. Its primary objective was to empower Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to establish 'Reduce, Reuse, Recycle' (RRR) Centres, where citizens, institutions, and businesses could deposit unused or used plastic items, clothes, footwear, books, and toys.
The campaign, implemented by ULBs under SBM-U 2.0, focused on raising awareness about Mission Life and encouraging citizens to adopt 'Reduce, Reuse, Recycle' practices in their daily lives. By integrating these practices into the urban sanitation system, the goal is to create a circular economy that minimizes waste, optimizes resource utilization, and ensures a cleaner and greener environment for both present and future generations.
The campaign employed various measures, such as door-to-door awareness drives, social media campaigns, and influencer engagements, to mobilize citizens and promote the adoption of sustainable behaviors. It is important to note that 'Meri LiFE, Mera Swachh Shehar' is not a scheme but rather a public outreach and mass engagement campaign initiated by the Government of India. No separate organizations were formed for its implementation.
