Punjab Govt. to launch "Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana"

Punjab Social Aspects of state

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh will launch "Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana" on Oct 2 in state.

Facts :

The scheme—Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana—is being launched under the National Rural Livelihood Mission and is aimed at benefiting 123 self-help group families.
Under the scheme Punjab Government will provide interest-free loans to members of self-help groups for purchase of a vehicle not costing more than Rs 6 lakh.
The loan amount has to be paid back within a maximum period of six years after which the vehicle will be transferred in the name of the member of the self-help group.
It would be launched in six blocks of the state as a pilot project from 2018-19 financial year to 2020-21 financial year.
On October 2, the Chief Minister will also inaugurate a state-level mega camp to facilitate the beneficiaries of the Mahatma Gandhi Sarbat Vikas Yojna (MGSVY).
On the directions of the Chief Minister, 90 such mega camps will be held at sub-divisional levels across the state in order to ensure that no deserving beneficiary is deprived of the benefits of the welfare schemes initiated by the government under the MGSVY.
So far 27, 40,109 applications have been received under MGSVY, out of which 8,66,322 beneficiaries have been found to be eligible.

Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY) :

The Government of India has decided to launch a new sub-scheme named “Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY)” as part of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
The Self Help Groups under DAY-NRLM will operate road transport service in backward areas. This will help to provide safe, affordable and community monitored rural transport services to connect remote villages with key services and amenities (such as access to markets, education and health) for the overall economic development of backward rural areas.
This will also provide an additional avenue of livelihood for SHGs. The basic outline of AGEY was discussed in a meeting of State Transport Ministers of 13 States held in June 2016 at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh and all the Transport Ministers had expressed their appreciation of this initiative.
The Community Investment Fund (CIF) provided to Community Based Organization (CBOs) under DAY-NRLM will be utilized to support the SHG members in this new livelihoods initiative.
The beneficiary SHG member will be provided an interest free loan by the CBO from its Community Investment Fund upto Rs.6.50 lakh for purchase of the vehicle. Alternative, CBO will own the vehicle and lease it to an SHG member to operate the vehicle and pay lease rental to the CBO.

Mahatma Gandhi Sarbat Vikas Yojna (MGSVY) :

It aims to translate the vision of inclusive development of the State into a reality by ensuring equitable access to benefits of all socio-economic development schemes for those who have been deprived of such benefits. Although a large number of welfare scheme have been going on for years, there are a large number poor and distressed households to whom the benefits of these schemes have not reached. The goal of SVY is to identify such people and ensure that they get due benefits under various government schemes and programmes.
Punjab Government has launched Mahatma Gandhi Sarbat Vikas Yojna (MGSVY) for the welfare of the downtrodden citizen across the state in January 2018 to benefit 18 marginalized sections living in rural areas of state. It will provide benefit of welfare schemes for debt stressed farmers, poor families that have woman as sole bread earner, out-of-school children, martyred soldiers, families of AIDS patients, differently-abled, abandoned old persons, drug addicts etc.
It aims to will give more focus on encouraging voluntary organizations, various civil society organizations, Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and other socially committed persons to contribute to the welfare of the downtrodden. Moreover, under the scheme will be no financial implication.