Kyndiah for timely financial support to tribals

New Delhi, Sep 15 (UNI) Minister for Tribal Affairs and Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) P R Kyndiah today said the State Channelising Agencies (SCAs) should devise innovative methods to reach the poorest of the poor amongst the Tribals, with financial schemes aiming at reducing the gap between the tribals and on-tribals.

Addressing a conference of the SCAs of National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC), Mr Kyndiah said there was a need to adopt a fresh approach to build a strong platform for providing loans to the Scheduled Tribe people who are in need of financial assistance from the state to improve their living conditions.

He said despite India on the threshold of becoming a global economic power, a large portion of tribal population is leaving below the poverty line.

The channelising agencies should be sensitive towards the limitations of tribal people who may not feel comfortable visiting their offices and getting involved in all the paper work.

Therefore, he said, the financial schemes should be devised in such a manner that while the Government or the Corporation do not lose money, the needy people get the loans they requires without much procedural requirements.

In any case collaterals for small loans should not be insisted.

In this context, he also mentioned that if the loan amount is sufficiently liberal to help set up a viable enterprise, it would make the realisation of loan amount better.

The Minister said the beneficiaries of NSTFDC channelising agencies should be suitably trained in the activities for which they are getting involved through loans to ensure that the realisation of loaned amount is assured and more importantly, it would help the beneficiary to learn to survive on his own ability.

The conference aims at creating enabling environment for the SCAs in the various states to become more effective in implementation of the various schemes of the NSTFDC resulting into scaling up of financial assistance in the form of loans to the eligible category of tribals.

Mr Kyndiah promised wholehearted support to states through NSTFDC for viable schemes of ST entrepreneurs.

UNI BKS PV VC1828