Guwahati: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday distributed over 10,000 cheques to waive microfinance loans availed by women of Dhemaji and Biswanath districts.

Altogether 11,000 women beneficiaries from Dhemaji and nearly 12,600 in Biswanath have been covered under the Assam Micro Finance Incentive and Relief Scheme 2021 (AMFIRS), a release by the Chief Minister's said.

Out of the total eligible beneficiaries, 5,000 each in the two districts were given financial support at separate programmes of the Chief Minister during the day.

To fulfill a major poll promise, Sarma on November 28 last year rolled out the ambitious microfinance loan waiver scheme, benefitting around 24 lakh poor women across the State.

The government has divided the loanees into three categories.

Under Category I, the beneficiaries are provided with a one-time incentive up to Rs 25,000 or the outstanding balance, whichever is less, to incentivize them to continue maintaining good credit discipline.

Category I of AMFIRS will benefit a total of 11 lakh. women across the State.

While presenting the cheques in Dhemaji and Biswanath districts, the Chief Minister asked the beneficiaries to make good use of the financial incentive and strengthen their business ventures, according to the release.

He said that repayment of the loan amount is essential for them to increase their Credit Information Bureau (India) Ltd (CIBIL) score so that they can avail further loans for business purposes.

The distribution of the benefits under Category I of the scheme will be over by April 15 and the government will design another scheme for those loanees who could not repay their loans.

He said that the government will create a portal and applications will be sought from the defaulting loanees from February 1 to understand the requirements of the new scheme to enable the executing agency to design the scheme in sync with the needs of defaulters.

Source:- PTI