By IANS
Kochi : Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram drew flak from Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac over a centrally sponsored micro-finance scheme that he unveiled in the state.
Chidambaram Friday launched “Janasree Sustainable Development Mission” – an initiative to promote micro-level enterprises by organising a million people into 50,000 units of self-help groups.
The scheme is thought to have the blessings of the state unit of the Congress party.
Isaac is reportedly upset as “Kudumbashree” – the state supported women-oriented programme launched by him as a member of the State Planning Board in 1998 – may be adversely affected by the new scheme.
Isaac, speaking at Alappuzha near Kochi, said that the new programme launched by Chidambaram is meant to get “central funds on the sly”.
“Janasree is anti-people because the present micro-finance programme in the state would be ruined. The central government is making inroads into the rights of the state,” said Isaac.
Chidambaram said: “We have nothing against any state supported programmes and ‘Janasree’ is not a politically motivated programme. Just as the banks support Kudumbashree, they will extend support to Janasree also.”
Over the last one decade Kudumbashree has helped set up more than 165,000 self-help groups, which have a thrift collection of almost Rs.9 billion.
The newly launched Janasree basically has the same objective, precisely the reason for Isaac’s displeasure.