To create new employment opportunities and boost economic activities in rural area, the State Government on Monday decided to set up District Industry and Investment Promotion Agencies (DIPAs).
The decision was taken in a high-level meeting held on digital mode under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra in which Industries Principal Secretary Hemant Kumar Sharma outlined the proposal for extending IPICOL’s activities to district level. Mahapatra directed, “These agencies should be dedicated towards facilitation and handholding of micro, small and medium enterprises. They should operate as single-point-contact for all entrepreneurs and investors. It should facilitate them right from the time of project formulation and capacity building to financing, starting of production and market linkages. It would also facilitate them for availing different assistances from Government as per prevailing provisions.”
The Chief Secretary directed the Collectors to take proactive roles in promotion of micro, small and medium enterprises in their districts. Mahapatra added, “MSMEs are movers of economic growth and their promotion in the districts will result in equitable growth.” The Collectors were asked to provide decent office spaces in Collectorates for setting up the units.
It was decided that each of the DIPAs would be managed by three professionals under direct supervision of Collector. The DIPAs would be set up in districts in a phased manner with feedback and learning about functioning and outcome of agencies from each preceding phase. It was targeted to pilot intervention in three districts, Ganjam, Sundargarh and Jagatsinghpur.