Earlier blamed for scams, the poor now being offered loans by govt: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said his government has acknowledged the honesty and hard work of street vendors by offering them loans that were inaccessible to the poor in the past.

Addressing beneficiaries of the PM Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme in Uttar Pradesh via video conferencing, he said those involved in scams had blamed the poor for their wrongdoings.

"Those doing politics in the name of poor had created an atmosphere that if a loan is given to them it would not be returned. Those who had themselves been involved in scams had always put the blame of all dishonest things on the poor, but I have always been saying that the poor of the country have never compromised with honesty and self respect," Modi said.

He said today loans have been given to street vendors and they are repaying them in time.

Through the PM Svanidhi Yojna the poor have once again presented the example of its honesty before the country. The street vendors of UP are repaying it through their hard work besides earning their livelihood. This is the will power and hard work and honesty, he said.