THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Finance Minister Thomas Isaac on Thursday urged bankers to provide loans to small and medium-scale entrepreneurs who suffered a big loss in the flood to resume their ventures and thereby retrieve their lives. He was speaking at the conference on livelihood development package organised by the State Planning Board in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.

Industries Minister E P Jayarajan who spoke at the function said emphasis has to be given to the rehabilitation of small-scale roadside vendors and labourers in Khadi-Handloom sectors, while Agriculture Minister V S Sunilkumar said banking institutions should also give equal attention to handing over the benefits and financial assistance announced by the state and Central Governments to the agriculture sector. 

Though the cooperative sector has lent new loans and moratorium on loans as part of flood rehabilitation, the flood has affected the repayment of loans in the cooperative banks, said Cooperative and Tourism Minister Kadkampally Surendran. 

Minister for Health and Social Justice K K Shailaja said women were also severely affected in the flood and when drawing up plans for rebuilding the lives of the flood-affected, special emphasis has to be given to them.