Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala government's Smart Kitchen project, meant to ease the burden of domestic chores of housewives, is likely to be rolled out before Onam. The Budget has set aside Rs 5 crore for the first phase of the plan.
The project, to be implemented jointly with Kerala State Financial Enterprises (KSFE), will provide interest-free loans to homemakers for purchasing home appliances.
The government will pay KSFE the interest as a subsidy. A panel comprising Chief Secretary, and secretaries of Local Self Government and Women and Child Welfare departments have been assigned to draw up a final plan for the project, Finance Minister K N Balagopal told Manorama.
Features and terms
• Interest free
• No collateral requirement for loan
• Only the loan amount has to be repaid
• Loan to be sanctioned within 48 hours of receiving the application
• Kitchen appliances costing Rs 2,000 onwards could be bought. A price ceiling will be decided soon
• Repayment tenure will be between one year and five years
• Bank account mandatory for housewives
Procedure
• A quotation from the home appliances showroom, detailing the equipment planned to be purchased and price should be submitted to the nearest KSFE branch.
• KSFE will compare it with the price it has fixed. A cheque for the loan amount will be issued to the showroom selling the appliances.
• Housewives can receive the appliances directly from the showroom.