Few takers for Multipurpose Job Club

KOCHI: ‘Multi-Purpose Job Club’, a scheme initiated by the District Employment Exchange to provide loans to start joint enterprises, has few takers, mostly due to the lack of proper awareness and campaigning. Though the authorities concerned are asserting that they are creating awareness, it is not up to the mark.The scheme, initiated five years ago, could only provide loans to 30 people so far. Rajappan K K, district employment officer, said, “We have created awareness on the scheme but people are hardly responding. As this is a loan for a joint venture comprising two to five members, a consensus has to be reached  among them before availing themselves of this scheme.”The criterion fixed under this scheme to obtain the loan is cumbersome. “Though the government is ready to pay the money, people are showing scant interest. We got only two applications last month. Unlike other schemes  this scheme requires collateral security which is a major bottleneck,” sources with the Employment Exchange said."Proper advertisements and campaigning are a prerequisite and the government should provide it. So far nothing has been carried out in this regard. People are totally ignorant about this scheme,” they said.This is a scheme designed to loan money to a minimum of two persons and a maximum of five persons. People aged between 21 and 40 can avail themselves of this scheme. Their family annual income should be below Rs 50,000. The maximum loan is Rs 10 lakh (Rs 2 lakh for each member). Unlike the other schemes of the District Employment Exchange, this scheme needs collateral security of Rs 5 lakh.