President inaugurates three public welfare schemes in Rajasthan

President Ramnath Kovind arrived here on Sunday on a two-day maiden visit to Rajasthan as head of the state and launched three public welfare schemes.

At a function held at the Birla Auditorium, he inaugurated Sundar Singh Bhandhari EBC Swarozgar Yojana, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat Antyodaya Swarozgar Yojana and loan and interest waiver scheme for SCs/STs/OBCs, sanitation workers, and the physically challenged.

Under the Swarozgar Scheme, members of the economically weaker classes from around 50,000 families will be given loans of Rs 50,000 at 4 per cent interest.

Under the Antyodaya Swarozgar Yojana, around 50,000 families from the Scheduled Castes and Tribes and Other Backward Classes will be given loans of Rs 50,000 at 4 per cent interest for self-employment.

The President also announced waiving of loans of Rs two lakh each given to SCs/STs/OBCs, sanitation workers and physically challenged people in 1980-81 and later by the Rajasthan Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation Limited to create resources for employment.

Kovind recalled that on May 13, 1998, nuclear tests were conducted in Pokharan in Rajasthan and termed it "historic" day in India's history.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said that her government had introduced several schemes to connect the weaker sections of society with the mainstream.

The President distributed cheques to a few beneficiaries under the three new schemes.

Earlier, the President was welcomed by Governor Kalyan Singh and Raje at the airport here on his arrival. The President was given a guard of honour by the Army's Rajpur Regiment.

On Monday, President will visit Ajmer to offer prayers at Pushkar's Brahma temple. He will also offer prayers at the Ajmer Dargah. He will return to Jaipur in the afternoon and depart for Mumbai.

--IANS

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