Stressing that the entrepreneurs are the new identity of Uttarakhand, the Chief Minister Harish Rawat said on Wednesday that the stories recounting their success should be given wide publicity to inspire others to follow their footsteps.
The Government has decided to create 50,000 skilled entrepreneurs in the next three to four years, he added. “Fund crunch would be no hindrance to developing more and more entrepreneurs in the State. State Government is working as a facilitator while laying stress on roping in youth, particularly, the women, in the process of developing entrepreneurship,” he said while felicitating the entrepreneurs under Uttarakhand Industrial Academia Research & Development Mission and Chief Minister self employment scheme for the financial year 2015-16 at the CM residence on Wednesday.
CM also felicitated the successful entrepreneurs who have achieved success in the arena of handicraft. He gave grants and certificates among 270 new entrepreneurs. He further said that those associated with the process of propping up entrepreneurship, including the bank officers, deserved applause.
“It is time we go for a new slogan of creating more and more entrepreneurs. Fortunately, Uttarakhand has enough base of education, including technical education and it is helping the State in skill development and human resource development. Currently, a tremendous competition going on among the States, we will have to make R&D in new areas. This would go a long way in eradicating unemployment and stopping migration, affecting youth and women from the villages. We will have to transform our job seekers as job givers. This is a challenge which the industry department and MSME department must take up in right earnest,” he said.
CM further said that the youths, who have left study midway must be identified and their skill must be rightly groomed. “For this, we must come out with a solid road -map and will have to create conducive atmosphere for industrial development. The banks must be roped in too. Besides, the role of the district entrepreneur officers as the motivator is important,” he said.
Stressing on the spread of Information Technology, he said that it would make things easier for the entrepreneurs in terms of marketing their products. “There is a need to create market for Uttarkahand’s produce in the state as elsewhere. Stalls must be made to facilitate the sale of the local produce. This would make the tourists and the pilgrims return with our products. It is very heartening that the State’s local produces are being acclaimed at the national level. State Government is going to give cash assistance to all the budding entrepreneurs,” he said.
He appealed to the successful entrepreneurs to help the upcoming entrepreneurs go ahead. “To help all classes of the people, the State Government has started several kinds of start- up schemes. For nomadic people and the Scheduled Tribe people, we have started special start-up schemes,” he said, adding that his Government has taken it as a challenge to transform the inaccessible areas of the State developmentally.
“Things are encouraging as the women self- help groups based in the high altitude areas are doing well. The dairy sectors in the hills must be explored to prop up development,” Harish Rawat said.