The Oulgaret Municipality on Wednesday organised a sensitisation
programme to create awareness among bankers on the implementation of the
National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM).

According to a senior
official, among the several components of the NULM scheme, the
Self-Employment Programme (SEP), aimed at the uplift of the urban poor,
is being implemented in Puducherry.

As part of the scheme, 500
beneficiaries will be identified in each Assembly constituency and loan
extended to enable them to take up individual and group ventures. The
banks can directly accept the applications from beneficiaries for
extending loans at subsidised interest rates. The scheme aimed at
creating self-employment or job opportunities for urban poor through
skill development training and creating necessary support facilities.

Besides
creating social infrastructure, housing for the homeless and extending
credit for small traders would be important components of the scheme. M.
Kandasamy, Commissioner of Oulgaret Municipality; MLAs Ashok Anand,
N.S.J. Jayabal, and M.N.R. Balan; Lead Bank Manager S. Chandrasekhar;
and other officials attended the programme.