Govt raises ECLGS outlay to Rs 5 lakh cr

New Delhi: The central government on Wednesday approved an additional Rs50,000 crore under the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) to ensure low-cost credit flow to hospitality and related segments hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Union Cabinet has approved the enhancement in the limit of ECLGS by Rs50,000 crore from Rs4.5 lakh crore to Rs5 lakh crore, with the additional amount being earmarked exclusively for enterprises in hospitality and related sectors, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur told reporters here. The increase has been done on account of the severe disruptions suffered by hospitality and related enterprises due to the pandemic.

The enhancement is expected to provide much needed relief to enterprises in these sectors by incentivising lending institutions to provide additional credit of up to Rs 50,000 crore at low cost, an official statement said. The ECLGS was announced in May 2020 in wake of the outbreak of Covid-19 to help various sectors, especially in the MSME segment, to get credit at a concessional rate of 7 per cent. Loans of about Rs 3.67 lakh crore have been sanctioned under ECLGS till August 5, 2022. In Union Budget 2022-23, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced extending the validity of ECLGS till March 2023 and an increase in the limit of guaranteed cover by Rs50,000 crore.

The additional amount of Rs50,000 crore would be made applicable to enterprises in hospitality and related sectors till the validity of the scheme (March 31, 2023). The statement further said the ongoing pandemic has adversely impacted contact-intensive sectors, especially the hospitality and related segments, more severely.

"While other sectors were back faster on the path of recovery, demand continued to be subdued for these sectors (hospitality and related activities) for longer period, suggesting the need for suitable interventions for their sustenance and recovery," it said. Given their high employment intensity and direct and indirect linkages with other sectors, their revival is also necessary for supporting overall economic recovery, it added.