Government to give guarantee on loan under Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Start-up Scheme: CM Sukhu

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], December 6 : Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu urged the banks to provide loans at concessional interest rates for the public welfare schemes of the government so that more and more people could avail the benefits of the schemes.
He was presiding over a meeting with representatives from the public sector, cooperative and private banks here today.
"To provide self-employment opportunities to the youth, the state government has initiated the first phase of the Rs 680 crore Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Startup Scheme, under which a 50 per cent subsidy was being provided on the purchase of e-taxis with a motive to get these e-taxis with government offices to provide self-employment with a fixed income," CM Sukhu said.
Under this scheme, banks should provide loans to the youth at concessional rates to reduce the EMI burden, urged the Chief Minister and assured that the government will give a guarantee on the loan for e-taxi.
In the second phase, self-employment opportunities will be provided to the youth by setting up solar energy projects up to panchayat level, he said.
He also asked all the banks to send the interest rates to the state government by the stipulated time. The state government will issue 500 e-taxi permits in the first phase and their number will increase based on demand, said CM Sukhu, adding that diesel vehicles will also be phased out in all government departments and e-vehicles will be promoted.
Secretary to the Chief Minister, Dr Abhishek Jain, Principal Private Secretary to the Chief Minister, Vivek Bhatia, OSD Gopal Sharma and representatives from 27 different banks participated in the meeting.