Sarbananda Sonowal credits PM SVANidhi for empowering street vendors, inaugurates Janaushadhi Kendra in Dibrugarh

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Dibrugarh MP, Sarbananda Sonowal, on Sunday. August 31 lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme for transforming the lives of small traders and street vendors across the country.

Speaking at a public programme on the scheme at the Auniati Satra branch, Mankota Road, Dibrugarh, Sonowal said that the initiative has helped countless poor and marginalised families become self-reliant. The event was jointly organised by the Dibrugarh District Administration and the Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation.

“The core objective of PM SVANidhi is to instill dignity and self-dependence among small traders. With this scheme, Prime Minister Modi ensured that street vendors could support their families with pride and financial stability,” Sonowal said, interacting with beneficiaries.

He highlighted how the scheme played a critical role during the COVID-19 crisis, when small businesses were severely hit. “Banks were instructed to extend loans in three phases — ₹10,000, ₹20,000, and ₹50,000 — to vendors who maintained timely repayments. On top of this, beneficiaries received a 7% interest subsidy,” he added. According to Sonowal, the repayment mechanism gave traders both confidence and opportunities to grow.

Targeting the Congress, the Union Minister remarked that the party had failed to deliver on welfare during its long rule. “Rajiv Gandhi himself admitted that only 16 paise of every rupee sent by the government reached the people, while the rest was lost to middlemen. In contrast, Prime Minister Modi has ensured that every rupee reaches the poor. His governance is guided by the principle of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas,” he asserted.

Later in the day, Sonowal inaugurated a Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Kendra at Milan Nagar in Dibrugarh, which aims to provide affordable and quality generic medicines to the public.

The event witnessed the presence of several dignitaries, including Assam Cabinet Minister and Dibrugarh MLA Prasanta Phukan, Khumtai MLA Chakradhar Gogoi, Duliajan MLA Terash Gowala, Lahowal MLA Binod Hazarika, Deputy Mayor of DMC Ujjal Phukan, Deputy Commissioner Bikram Kairi, DMC Commissioner Joy Vikas, DDA Chairman Asim Hazarika, Zila Parishad Chairperson Pushpanjali Sonowal, and SKAC Chief Executive Member Tonkeshwar Sonowal, among others.