BJP Shows Increase in Beneficiaries of Mudra Yojana Despite a Drop

The data for 2018-2019 shows a decrease in the number of beneficiaries and the loans sanctioned by the government.

(Photo: Harsh Sahani/The Quint)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, 22 October, tweeted a graph (which has now been taken down) showing the beneficiary of the Mudra yojana, which aims at extending loans to small-scale, non-corporate enterprises, and the loans sanctioned by the government under the scheme.

The graph titled ‘Promoting entrepreneurship and empowering youth with financial security’ shows that the government has disbursed over Rs 6.80 lakh crore to 14.34 crore beneficiaries.

The data depicted in the graph shows an upward trend in the number of beneficiaries and loans sanctioned every year since the launch of the scheme in 2015.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@BJP4India)

However, as per the data used in the graph itself, in the year 2017-2018 the government disbursed Rs 2.53 lakh crore to 4.81 crore beneficiaries and in the year 2018-2019 only Rs 1.10 lakh crore was sanctioned for 2.08 crore beneficiaries.

The graph thus, should have looked like this.

The data for the last year shows a downward trend and not an increase. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/Altered by The Quint)

One explanation for the BJP showing an increase in the graph could be the cumulative growth in the number of beneficiaries and loans sanctioned each year. But since the data is shown on a yearly basis, it’s irrelevant to show a cumulative increase. The bar for the year 2018-2019 should indicate a decline and not an increase.