Centre’s loan guarantee scheme benefits 2 lakh women

Vijay C Roy

Chandigarh, April 5

The Union government’s Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) — launched to assist MSMEs during the Covid disruption — has benefitted nearly 2 lakh women entrepreneurs in the region. According to data tabled in the Parliament, Rs 1,192 crore worth loans were guaranteed to women-run businesses under the ECLGS, especially to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), in the region.

Women entrepreneurs from Haryana have been the biggest beneficiaries. Loans worth Rs 566 crore were disbursed in 94,587 cases. In Punjab and Himachal, Rs 378 crore in 88,427 cases and Rs 109 crore to 8,436 women entrepreneurs, respectively, were guaranteed. In the UTs of Jamp;K, Chandigarh and Ladakh, loans to the tune of Rs 103 crore, Rs 29 crore and Rs 7.50 crore were guaranteed to 4,240, 1,340 and 171 women applicants, respectively.

The largest number of loans were granted in the trading sector (including small kirana shops), followed by food processing, textiles and commercial dairy.

In a written reply to a question in Parliament, Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani said under the ECLGS, 81.18 lakh women beneficiaries across the country have been provided guarantees of loans as of February 28, 2022.

According to a study by SBI Research, the ECLGS has helped 13.5 lakh MSME units, saved 1.5 crore jobs and prevented 14% of the MSME loans from turning into non-performing assets (NPAs).