Himachal Pradesh has bagged first rank for the successful operation of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) from Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for the third consecutive year.

Informing about this, State Urban Development minister Suresh Bhardwaj said the Union government has awarded Himachal Pradesh with first prize for the year 2020-21 in the category of North East region and Himalayan states.

Prior to this, the state had received the first prize under the mission in the year 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Bhardwaj stated that an additional grant of Rs 5 crore has been provided to Himachal by the Central government as an award.

“Under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission, social and economic development of the urban poor is being done by forming Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and building up the members of the group.

In the year 2020-21, 698 SHGs were formed under the mission and revolving funds of Rs. 10,000 have been distributed to 635 SHGs. 2,447 beneficiaries were provided skill training and under the self-employment programme 508 individual loans and 145 SHGs were given loans and during this period 39 shelter buildings were operated,” the minister said.

He further stated that 420 SHGs were formed under the mission and revolving funds have been distributed to 757 SHGs in the year 2021-22.

In addition, skill training was provided to 1,777 beneficiaries while under the self-employment program, 320 individual loans and 149 self-help groups were given loans.

Besides, the construction work of two vendor markets is in progress under the mission and two additional shelter buildings are being operated.

After three months of the formation of self-help groups, a revolving fund of Rs 10,000 was being given.

Under the skill development component, free training and easy loans under the self-employment component were being made available to the beneficiaries through banks at low interest rates. Apart from this, shelter buildings were being run in the urban bodies for the urban shelter less people, he added.

The Minister said For the upliftment of street vendors, a vending plan is being prepared for each urban body by getting them surveyed. Election of the Town Vending Committee is also being conducted under the Street Vendor Act.

The department is working tirelessly to get the first position in the ranking of the Central Government and in the financial year 2021-22 also, the state will get first place for successful operation of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission, he further added.