Gujarat Chief Minister Vijaybhai Rupani has felicitated the state cooperators for doing a praiseworthy work in the implementation of Atmanirbhar Gujarat Sahay Yojana (AGSY) in the state. They got felicitated in a meeting held in Gandhinagar to understand and implement the ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Utkarsh Yojana’ last week.
Gujarat Urban Cooperative Banks Federation President Jyotindrabhai Mehta, Gujarat State Cooperative Bank Chairman Ajaybhai Patel and Uttar Gujarat Urban Cooperative Bank Federation Chairman Kantibhai Patel were felicitated with trophies and certificates on the occasion.
Sharing the news through social media Gujarat Chief Minister wrote, “A meeting was held in Gandhinagar to understand and implement the ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Utkarsh Yojana’. The basic mantra of determination of cooperation is helping small people”.
“Under the ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Utkarsh Yojana”, a target has been set to give 1000 crore loans to 10 lakh women of the state by forming a group of 1 lakh. Under the Atmanirbhar Gujarat Sahay Yojna (AGSY), the president of the three cooperatives were honored with trophies and certificates”, CM wrote on his twitter wall.
He further wrote, “Mr Jyotindrabhai Mehta, President of Gujarat Urban Cooperative Bank Federation, Gujarat State Co. Bank Chairman Mr Ajaybhai Patel and Chairman of Uttar Gujarat UCBs Mr Kantibhai Patel were honored”.
It was during the lockdown, when the UCBs of the state played a major role in the Atmanirbhar Gujarat Sahay Yojna (AGSY) with an objective to help small businessmen. Under this scheme UCBs of the state promoted the interests of little businessmen, skilled workers, auto rickshaw owners, barbers, street vendors and others by offering them soft loans.
It bears recall that, in a major move aimed at helping the lower middle class, during the lockdown the Gujarat govt had announced a scheme where people can avail guarantee-free loan of Rs 1 lakh from banks at 2 percent annual interest. The government had come up with this scheme after discussions with district, scheduled and cooperative banks.
Jyotindra Mehta, Nafcub President and an old associate of the Chief Minister Vijay Rupani is said to be the brain behind this idea. It was he who suggested an amount of Rs one lakh– an amount suitable for starting any small business unlike smaller amounts given by many other states for no other use than meeting the immediate needs of the loanees.
