New Delhi: Prime minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday the government was aiming at financial inclusion and it wanted to create job creators and not job seekers.

Modi was speaking at the inauguration of a conference of Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI) held to mark the 125th birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of India’s constitution.

“To ensure this financial inclusion, the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana scheme has provided more than 80 lakh people from the scheduled castes (SCs), scheduled tribes (STs) and other backward classes (OBCs) loans worth ₹ 50,000 crore without any mortgage to provide jobs to 14 crore people in the past seven to eight months," Modi said at the event, attended by 1,200 Dalit entrepreneurs.

The Prime Minister added that a venture capital fund worth ₹ 200 crore with the Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) as its nodal agency was being created for first generation Dalit entrepreneurs.

“So far, the fund has given loans worth ₹ 144 crore to 28 businesses belonging to the SC/ST community. These steps are being taken so that the bottom of the pyramid can be strengthened," he said.

Talking about Ambedkar’s vision of development for the Dalit society, Modi said that Ambedkar wanted industrialization, as Dalits do not have any land or assets and this is the only way to help them progress. Moreover, he wanted education for Dalits.

“Not only was Dr B.R Ambedkar the architect of the Indian Constitution but was also an accomplished economist. He found solutions to all our economic problems. He envisaged the idea of the Reserve Bank of India. However, it is sad that Dalits find it so difficult to get loans from banks," said Modi.

Reiterating what he said in one of his Mann ki Baat episodes, Modi said that more than 60 years after Independence, we still speak about rights and not duties.

Modi added that this was not the case with Dalit entrepreneurs present on the occasion. Lauding their spirit, he said, “You people not only talk about duties but you do it. You could have spoken about rights but you chose not to. Ambedkar must have been proud and thrilled to see you."

Giving the example of Dalit entrepreneur Kalpana Saroj, Modi said that the Dalit society gives inspiration to other people to find hope of living despite difficult circumstances.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.

Share Via