Street Vendors part of PM SVANidhi in tier 1 & 2 centers will be beneficiaries in PIDF Scheme.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) today decided to include street vendors identified as part of the PM Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidi Scheme) in tier-1 and tier-2 centres as beneficiaries under the PIDF Scheme. As hitherto, the street vendors in tier-2 to tier-6 centres will continue to be covered under the Scheme.

This decision to expand the targeted beneficiaries under the PIDF scheme will provide a fillip to the Reserve Bank's efforts towards promoting digital transactions at the grass-root level.

The Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) Scheme was announced by the Reserve Bank on January 5, 2021. The objective of the scheme was to encourage the deployment of Points of Sale (PoS) infrastructure (both physical and digital modes) in tier-3 to tier-6 centres and northeastern states. PIDF is intended to subsidise the deployment of payment acceptance infrastructure in Tier-3 to Tier-6 centres with a special focus on the North-Eastern States of the country. It envisages creating 30 lakh new touchpoints every year for digital payments.

PM SVANidhi: initiatives that strengthen Street Vendors Ecosystem

Street vending is a vital economic activity in urban India. In fact, it is one of the largest informal sectors that cater to the livelihood of the urban poor.

Union Government is providing "Support to Urban Street Vendors (SUSV)" as a component of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihood Mission (DAY-NULM), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. The scheme aims to address the livelihood concerns of the urban street vendors by facilitating access to suitable spaces, institutional credit, social security, etc.

Street Vendors Atma Nirbhar Nidhi

Further, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has launched Prime Minister Street Vendors Atma Nirbhar Nidhi, better known as PM SVANidhi, a Central Sector Scheme, on June 1, 2020.

The scheme was launched with the objective of providing an affordable working capital loan of up to Rs 10,000 to the Street Vendors to resume their businesses, adversely impacted due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Subsequently, for the socio-economic upliftment of Street Vendors, the Ministry has initiated 'SVANidhi se Samriddhi' in 125 Urban Local Bodies, selected for saturation in the first phase on January 4, 2021.

Programmes linked with PM SVANidhi Scheme

This Programme aims to link PM SVANidhi Scheme beneficiaries and their family members to select central Government welfare Schemes namely Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, PM Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Registration under Building and Other Constructions Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act (BOCW), Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan Yojana, National Food Security Act (NFSA) portability benefit – One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC), Janani Suraksha Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY).

Huge improvement in the Socio-economic Profile of urban street vendors

As of July 30, 2021, under the 'SVANidhi se Smariddhi' Programme, the socio-economic profile of 5.3 lakh PM SVANidhi beneficiaries along with their family members has been completed.

Since June 1, 2020, the Ministry has also been implementing Pradhan Mantri Street Vendors' Atma Nirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme under the Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan package.

Under this, the govt. is facilitating the working capital loan of up to Rs 10,000 for 1-year tenure to Street Vendors, vending in urban areas.

In fact, on timely and early repayment, they are eligible for an enhanced working capital loan up to Rs 20,000 and Rs 50,000 in the second and third tranches respectively. The Scheme provides for incentives in the form of interest subsidy at the rate of 7 per cent per annum on regular repayment of the loan and cash-back up to Rs 1,200 on undertaking a prescribed number of digital transactions.

As of July 30, 2021, 43.3 lakh loan applications have been received. Out of these 25.3 lakh loans have been sanctioned and 22.8 lakh loans have been disbursed.

As the PM SVANidhi scheme brings in financial mainstreaming of street vendors through loans and digital payments, the government wants to formalise its understanding of this sector, and, based on that understanding, bring them under various schemes.