The 14th Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi was acclaimed globally for his initiation of the cleanliness drive in India through a mission called Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was launched on 2nd October 2014 by the Modi Government.
Swachhta Udyami Yojana under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
Launch Date of Swachhta Udyami Yojana
Swachhta Udyami Yojana was also launched on 2nd October 2014 by the Union Government, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Sudarshan Bhagat.
It is the Mission of National Safai Karmacharis Finance and Development Corporation, an apex corporation of the Ministry of State for Social Justice and Empowerment.
Swachhta Udyami Yojana is an integral part of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and was commencing with a view to increase cleanliness and to provide employment through the same. The Swachhta Udyami Yojana is also widely known as the self-employment scheme for the rehabilitation of manual scavengers and Safai Karmacharis.
The scheme was launched with the tagline “Swachhta Udyami Yojana-Swachhta Se Sampannta Ki Aur”.
Objectives of Swachhta Udyami Yojana
The Swachhta Udyami Yojana is basically aimed at the cleanliness and to provide a livelihood to Safai Karmacharis and Manual Scavengers through various cleanliness activities. The Scheme Swachhta Udyami Yojana works on two different aspects as first on “Construction, Operation and Maintenance of Pay and Use Community Toilets in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Mode” and second on “Procurement and Operation of Sanitation related Vehicles”. Both aspects have their different salient features:
1) Construction, Operation and Maintenance of Pay and Use Community Toilets in Public-Private Partnership Mode has various objectives which are to provide easy accessibility of the community toilets at railway station, bus-stands, other public places and to those who don’t have a household toilet, the timely and proper maintenance of these community toilets and lastly reducing the practice of manual scavenging.
With these three goals, the government aims at promoting cleanliness and making it available for every individual.
2) Under Procurement and Operation of Sanitation related Vehicles, the government has several goals which mainly focus on improving the condition of Safai Karmacharis and Manual Scavengers by providing them various cleanliness tool.
The objectives behind this section are to provide suitable infrastructure to Safai Karmacharis and Manual Scavengers so that their potential can be used appropriately, to provide them the facility to easily collect garbage from the sources and to provide employment and livelihood to Safai Karmacharis and Manual Scavengers.
Eligibility for Swachhta Udyami Yojana
Although the Swachhta Udyami Yojana is helpful for all and can benefit everyone yet it comes with certain eligibility conditions as follows:
Every individual and their dependents are eligible for the Scheme of Pay and Use Toilets under Swachhta Udyami Yojana. Also, the self-help group which has collaboration with reputed organizations are eligible for ‘Pay and Use Toilet Scheme’.
Whereas under ‘Scheme for Sanitation related Vehicles’, only some targeted group of Safai Karmacharis and Manual Scavengers with their dependents are eligible for the scheme.
Financial Assistance by Government for Swachhta Udyami Yojana
The government also has a provision of financial assistance as a loan under Swachhta Udyami Yojana. The loan amount and purpose are different under both the parts which are being discussed below:
Under Pay and Use Community Toilets Scheme, the government provides a loan up to Rs. 25 Lakh for the construction of a 10 seated toilet which is conditioned to be repaid under the duration of 10 years.
While under Scheme for Sanitation related Vehicles, the government has a provision of providing a loan of up to Rs. 15 Lakh with the duration of repayment of 10 years.
The loan under both the schemes is provided with an interest rate, not more than 4%. Both the schemes can further avail a rebate of 1% interest rate in the case of a beneficiary of being female. Also, the beneficiary can avail a further rebate of 0.5% in interest rate if he/she timely repays the amount.
The beneficiary under both the schemes has also a provision of postponement of repayment for the duration of up to 6 months if he/she faces some problem.
Also, the beneficiaries in both the schemes can avail of a subsidy of Rs 3.25 Lakh under some conditions.
Application Procedure of Swachhta Udyami Yojana
There are few steps to be followed to apply for a loan under Swachhta Udyami Yojana.
- First, the beneficiary should submit the application letter along with the project proposal to the National Safai Karmacharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) or State Channelizing Agencies or any Regional Rural Bank or to any Nationalized Bank.
- Then they scrutinize your application and deliver it to their Head Office.
- After it, an appraisal project proposal along with their recommendation is sent by the Head Office to National Safai Karmacharis Finance and Development Corporation.
- A Project Analyzing committee appointed by the NSKFDC deeply analyses the appraisal project and sends it to the Board of Directors.
- The Board of Directors approves the project.
- In the next step, the beneficiary provides all necessary and needed documents and signs the loan agreement.
- The NSKFDC releases the fund/ loan with straight policies and guidelines through the mode the beneficiary has initially applied.
So overall we can say that the Swachhta Udyami Yojana, a part of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, is focused on spreading cleanliness and providing livelihood through some act of cleanliness.
It is a scheme making Safai Karmacharis and Manual Scavengers a person to be able to earn their livelihood by some act of cleanliness for which they will also be financially supported by the Government at various stages and in different ways. It is a good initiative of the government of India and every beneficiary should take it as an advantage.