Odisha Govt rebranded SWAYAM scheme of interest-free loans to unemployed youths: BJP

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Cabinet yesterday approved SWAYAM yojana, which is meant to provide interest-free loans to unemployed youths in the State. However, the scheme has been rebranded for fresh launching and it is, in fact, a scheme of the Central government, BJP state unit alleged today.

The State government has tried to hijack yet another scheme of the Central government. The yojana is to be launched soon ahead of General Elections 2024 just to bias the youngsters and to grab votes.

“Programme through which the State government will provide interest-free loans under the SWAYAM scheme originally belongs to the Central government. Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises has a provision for granting loans up to a maximum limit of Rs 5 crore. Instead, the State government has limited it to Rs 1 lakh alone,” BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal said mediapersons.

“Besides, the ruling party has failed in keeping its words. In its manifestoes during the 2009, 2014, and 2019 General Elections, the BJD-led government had committed to provide jobs to around 56 lakh unemployed youths, which was subsequently not kept. Recently announced assistance of Rs 1,000 each to the public distribution system (PDS) beneficiaries is in a sense ‘bribe’ to prospective voters,” Biswal added.

Worth mentioning, Odisha Government has announced the launch of a scheme ‘Swatantra Yuva Udyami (SWAYAM)’ to promote self-employment opportunities among the young population in the State.