PM to launch start-up scheme for SCs/STs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, now on a visit to Saudi Arabia, will on Tuesday launch a scheme to promote entrepreneurship among the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes and women with loans in the range of Rs.10 lakh to Rs.100 lakh, official sources said here.

Named the "Stand up India Scheme", the prime minister will launch it and a web portal for it on Tuesday in suburban Noida.

The function will be also attended by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, union Minister for Culture and Tourism Mahesh Sharma and union Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha, among others, and Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik.

"The scheme is expected to benefit large number of entrepreneurs, as it is intended to facilitate at least two such projects per bank branch of scheduled commercial banks on an average, one for each category of entrepreneur," an official said.

The scheme will also facilitate refinance window through Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) with an initial amount of Rs.10,000 crore, the official announcement said.

The overall intent of the proposal is to leverage the institutional credit structure to reach out to these under-served sectors of the population by facilitating bank loans in the non-farm sector, sources said.

The prime minister on August 15, 2014, launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) for Banking for the Unbanked scheme.

Similarly, Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) was launched by Modi on April 8, 2015 for "Funding the Unfunded" by facilitating loans up to Rs.10 lakh.
-Source IANS

PM Modi urges BJP workers to market govt. schemes

New Delhi, Mar. 19 (ANI): Stressing on the importance of social media, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today urged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers to market the schemes of the government.

Addressing the party workers at the BJP Office Bearer's meet today, Prime Minister Modi said asked them to work with an open mind to take the party forward.

"We need to use social media as much as possible. We need to market our schemes more. We need to aggressively campaign the work done by the government. We need to utilize the impact of social media," he said at the meeting.

"We need to listen to the workers more often; we all should have a weekly conversation with all workers. All the suggestions made by workers should be taken seriously and we should not annoy them.Their suggestions should reach the government," he added.

The BJP's national executive meeting was held at NDMC Convention Centre here.
-Source ANI

PM Modi welcomed with 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' at World Sufi Forum

New Delhi, Mar.18 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who yesterday delivered the inaugural lecture at the World Sufi Forum, was greeted with chants of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' slogans as soon as he climbed the stage by people sitting in the audience.

Later, when Prime Minister Modi was about to begin his speech, the slogan was again chanted, reportedly by same men.

The greeting to the Prime Minister comes in the backdrop of a bitter row over the slogan, triggered by Rashtriya Swayam Sevak (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat's comment that the young generation should be taught to praise Mother India.

In protest, All India Muslim Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi said he cannot be forced to chant 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' slogan to prove his patriotism.
-Source ANI