PM Modi to interact virtually with Gwalior woman street vendor today

PM Modi on Wednesday will interact virtually with a woman street vendor Archana, who sells chaat (Indian snack) in Hazira Indira Nagar of Gwalior. Archana opted for a loan of Rs 10,000 under a Pradhan Mantri Nidhi Yojana scheme and set up a food trolley selling Tikki and chat amid COVID-19.

Gwalior: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with a woman street vendor Archana, who sells chaat (Indian snack) in Hazira Indira Nagar of Gwalior, in a virtual program.

Archana, who was unemployed due to the long lockdown, opted for a loan of Rs 10,000 under a Pradhan Mantri Nidhi Yojana scheme and set up a food trolley selling Tikki and chaat, and this is how she is running her house amid COVID-19.

Prior to the lockdown, the lady and her husband used to sell vegetables on the roads. The woman's husband then fell ill during the lockdown. Because of which, Archana had fallen into a situation of yearning for two square meals.

She came to know from nearby people that under the Prime Minister's Fund Scheme, the government is providing a loan of Rs 10,000. After that Archana registered herself for the scheme and with the aid of the district administration she got sanctioned a loan of 10,000 rupees. With this loan amount, Archana is now raising the expenses of her house and herself by running a food trolley.

As soon as Archana came to know that the PM Modi will talk to her on the phone, she and her whole family are quite happy.

Archana said, "I and my family have not even ever thought in the dream that the Prime Minister of the country would talk to us on phone. I will thank him as because of him, my family is not yearning for two square meals."

The Union government had launched the PM SVANidhi scheme on June 1 to help poor street vendors impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic resume livelihood activities.

Modi will also interact with three beneficiaries from the state by connecting virtually with them from their vending locations, the PMO said, adding that as many as 4.5 lakh street vendors were registered in Madhya Pradesh, with more than four lakh vendors having been given identification and vendor certification.