Nearly 7 lakh people employed under PMEGP: Kalraj Mishra

Nearly seven lakh people have been employed in over 92000 units established under Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) in the country during the last two years, Union Minister Kalraj Mishra said today.
"During the last two years, more than 6,80,000 people were employed by setting up of 92,508 PMEGP units in the whole of India, out of which 23,140 people were employed in 3,772 units in the state of Jammu and Kashmir," Mishra, Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) told reporters here.
The Union Minister said a sum of approximately Rs 38 crore was utilised in the past two years for assisting a record number of more than 2200 units in the state.

He, however, said Jammu and Kashmir was not making much use of the various schemes of the Ministry and asked the state government to come up with more proposals so that more assistance could be given.
"We are prepared to look into assistance of more industrial estates, even in one district, provided the proposal is good for the development of MSMEs," he said, adding it has always been the endeavour of the NDA Government to bring all sections of society into the mainstream, especially the ones who are militancy affected.
The Union Minister said under Technology Centre System Programme, 15 new technology centres with the help and assistance from World Bank would be set up in various parts of the country.

"One such centre is being set up in Jammu and Kashmir," he said, adding that to facilitate the enterprises to get benefits of various schemes of the ministry, a web-based application module, namely "MY MSME", is being converted into a mobile app.

Mishra said the ministry of MSME was always there to ease the lives of stake holders.
"More than 6,50,000 units have already got registered on Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum (UAM) and 15 new technology centres at a cost of Rs 2200 crore are coming up in various states of the country one of which will now be located in IGC Samba as proposed by the state government," he said.

Earlier, while interacting with the representatives of Khadi Federation, the minister assured them for early release of MDA.
He said for the first time Rs 155 crore of MDA has already been released in the first months of financial year.
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The Union Minister called on Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti at her residence here and discussed wide-ranging issues relating to ease of doing business for micro, small and medium enterprises in the state.
Mehbooba discussed with Mishra the need for enhancement of target under PMEGP from 1500 to 4000.
She said the credit-linked scheme is quite popular in rural areas and increase in target will enable more entrepreneurs to establish self-sustaining industrial units, an official spokesman said.

The Union Minister assured Mehbooba of early action in the matter, the spokesman said.
The minister said a proposal for setting up a national-level MSME University is in its advanced stage and once it becomes functional, skill development courses will be imparted to prospective entrepreneurs, including those from Jammu and Kashmir.
Mehbooba raised the issue of setting up a Technology Centre, on the pattern of PPDC Meerut, for promotion of cricket bat industry in Anantnag in south Kashmir, the spokesman said.
She indicated the possibility of establishing the Centre under 'Cluster Development Programme', which, she said, would provide much-needed technical knowhow on value additions, enabling the manufacturers to produce finished cricket bats.

Mehbooba also urged the Union Minister to expedite clearance of 37 identified clusters for village industry like crewel, sozni, namda, gabba, chain-stitch, silk reeling, willow wicker and honey processing.
She also pitched for an Electronic Service and Training Centre in the state to help in transfer of technology in assembly and manufacture of electronic items and parts for the young entrepreneurs.