National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) has
allotted Rs 15 crore to Kerala State Women’s Development Corporation
(KSWDC) to disburse as loans in the coming three months.

A release
from KSWDC here on Saturday said that this is for the first time that
any institution in the state had received such a big amount from a
national financial corporation at one go.

It is expected that
around 2,000 women would benefit from this. The corporation is providing
loans for self-employment ventures of women and education of girls at
low interest rates.  The loans using the amount would be disbursed in
November, December and January next year.

“The Corporation
recently got guarantee from the State Government for taking loan of Rs
45 crore,” said KSWDC managing director S M Arif in the release.

The
corporation got Rs 5.68 crore in 2010-11 financial year, Rs 5 crore in
2011-12 and Rs 3.74 crore in 2012-13 from the National Minorities
Development and Finance Corporation.

Only six per cent interest is charged for the loans which are disbursed by national finance corporations through KSWDC.

The
income limit for loan for self- employment ventures is Rs 81,000 in
rural areas and Rs 13,000 in urban areas. The application for loans
should be submitted at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode regional
offices.