• The ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) launched the ‘SVANidhi se Samriddhi’ programme in 126 additional cities across 14 states and Union Territories.

• ‘SVANidhi se Samriddhi’, an additional programme of PM SVANidhi, was launched on January 4, 2021 in 125 cities under the first phase, covering around 35 lakh street vendors and their families.

• Considering the success of Phase 1, the ministry launched the programme expansion to additional 126 cities with an aim to cover 28 lakh street vendors and their families, with a total target of 20 lakh scheme sanctions for FY 2022-23. The remaining cities would be gradually added to the programme.

• The ‘SVANidhi se Samriddhi’ programme was started to provide social security benefits to street vendors for their holistic development and socio-economic uplift.

• Around 28 lakh street vendors and their families will be covered after the expansion of the scheme.

• The programme would map the socio-economic profile of the PM SVANidhi beneficiaries and their families, assess their potential eligibility for various central welfare schemes and facilitate the linkages to these schemes.

• These schemes include Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, PM Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Registration under Building and other Constructions Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act (BOCW), Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan Yojana, National Food Security Act (NFSA) portability benefit – One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC), Janani Suraksha Yojana, and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY).

Quality Council of India (QCI) is the implementing partner for the programme.

Benefits of this programme include:

1) A central database of street vendors and their families is created on various socio-economic indicators. 

2) A first of its kind inter-ministerial convergence platform is established between various central ministries to extend the safety net of welfare schemes to street vendor households.

PM SVANidhi

• Street vendors represent a very important constituent of the urban informal economy and play a significant role in ensuring availability of the goods and services at affordable rates at the doorsteps of the city dwellers. 

• The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns adversely impacted the livelihoods of street vendors. 

• MoHUA has been implementing Prime Minister Street Vendors Atmanirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi), a central sector scheme, since June 1, 2020.

• It aims at facilitating collateral-free working capital loan up to Rs 10,000, to about 50 lakh street vendors. 

• The scheme has successfully crossed the 30-lakh mark.

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