Ahmedabad, Feb 16 (PTI) At least 1.6 lakh Divyang beneficiaries have been provided Rs 1,101 crore in loans since 2014 to empower and make them self-reliant, Union Minister Virendra Kumar said here on Friday.

The loan amount has nearly tripled since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the reins at the Centre in 2014, as the previous governments had disbursed Rs 462 crore to 90,000 persons with disabilities (PwDs), the minister for social justice and empowerment said.

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The Modi government is committed to making Divyangs self-reliant and empowered to enable them to support their families and contribute to the nation's aim to become developed by 2047, he said.

"Since 2014, 1.60 lakh Divyang beneficiaries received around Rs 1,101 crore in loans, which is nearly three times the Rs 462 crore that was disbursed to 90,000 beneficiaries before 2014," Kumar said at the launch of the 10-day Divya Kala Mela here.

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Divyang Kala Mela is an event organised by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in different cities of the country to showcase the products and craftsmanship of Divyang entrepreneurs and artisans.

Around 100 Divyang entrepreneurs and artisans from 20 states are participating in the 15th edition of Divyang Kala Mela, inaugurated by Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat in Ahmedabad.

"The government has provided various facilities and opportunities for skill development for Divyangs. Divya Kala Mela was launched to provide a platform for their products and connect them to traders," Kumar said.

The government has also launched Divya Kala Shakti, a cultural event that provides a bigger platform to showcase the potential of PwDs, he said.

Several initiatives have been taken to empower Divyangs, the minister said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)