Itching loan to buy mosquito nets

The state government has blessed its employees with many loans for their upkeep. Of them one is, however, mosquito-sized. And the loan of Rs 200 is meant precisely to help them buy mosquito nets. 

But there have not been many takers for this tiny loan: only 685  in the last three years. 

Now that the state is combating a fever outbreak, many employees are demanding that the loan amount be raised. Even mosquitoes will not object to this.

True, a mosquito control aerosol spray may cost around Rs 300 and a mosquito control liquidizer around Rs 100, but traders say that there are a good number of takers for mosquito net which has a current market price of Rs 440 to Rs 520 for double-bed and Rs 320 to Rs 380 for single-bed type.

Considering requests from government employees to increase the loan amount, the Kerala NGO Association has supported the demand. 

“The amount offered is very low. We will appeal to the Chief Minister and the Finance Minister to enhance the loan amount from the present Rs 200 so that it will serve its purpose,” Kerala NGO Association president Kottathala Mohanan says.

In 2011-12, Rs 54,000 was earmarked for the purpose by the Finance (Loan) Department of which Rs 51,200 was spent with 256 employees availing themselves of the loan.

In 2010-11, Rs 62,000 was earmarked for the loan. Of this, Rs 54,600 was spent with 273 employees taking the loan and in 2009-10, 156 people got it.

The eligibility criterion is that a government servant’s basic pay should be below Rs 18,740. 

An amount of Rs 20 will be deducted from the salary for 10 consecutive months.

“The Finance Department (Loan) has already issued circulars for this fiscal asking the heads of the department to furnish statement showing the amount required for sanctioning mosquito net advance to the employees. The loan amount was fixed decades ago and it is time to enhance it,” Additional Secretary (Finance) L S Padmakumar says.

There are a good number of people who go in for mosquito nets and traders say that the sales have witnessed a steady increase year-on-year basis.