Banks Should Not Delay Credit Access to MSMEs: Anurag Thakur

The Centre has assured MSME entrepreneurs of “corrective action”, if banks delayed or created unwarranted hurdles towards the disbursement of INR 3,00,000-crore loans allocated to them as part of fiscal stimulus and COVID-19 relief package. 

On Friday Anurag Singh Thakur, Minister of state for Finance and Corporate Affairs, said that, the government is negotiating with banks to give loans to small businesses at a lower interest rate of around 7.5 to 8 percent. 

“The money is meant for entrepreneurs and should reach them. If MSMEs are facing any such delay, please write to us and corrective measures will be taken and the loan will be disbursed”, Thakur said while responding to a question from an attendee during a webinar organized by the Merchants Chamber of Committee and Industry. 

Anurag Thakur is a fourth-time elected Member of the Lok Sabha from Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh. Within Parliament he has served as Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on IT and Member of Public Accounts Committee. During the 16^th Lok Sabha, he was appointed as the Chief Whip, Lok Sabha, becoming the youngest to assume the post. 

In the year 2016, he was commissioned as a regular officer in the Territorial Army as a Lieutenant of the 124 Sikh Regiment, thereby becoming the first serving BJP Member of Parliament to join as a regular officer.