Though officials concerned of the Nainital district industry centre claims to have witnessed a huge growth in small and micro scale industry sector under the ambitious Prime Minister Employment Generation Progamme during the year 2012-2013 in remote and hilly areas of the district, third party survey which is conducted for clearance of subsidy in this scheme, has not come as an encouraging factor for entrepreneurs.
“Out of a target of helping 24 entrepreneurs, we had been able to help 61 people setup micro and small scale industry in the hill district during the year 2012-2013,” said Anil Kumar Pandey, General Manager, the Nainital district industry centre, Haldwani, while talking to The Pioneer.
These 61 units were financed with Rs 304.19 lakh under this PMEGP across the Nainital district during the financial year 2012-2013, the General Managar further said. But, he added, third party enquiry before clearing the financial assistance granted to the entrepreneurs under the PMEGP has not come as encouraging.
Due to the findings of the third party survey, about 60 per cent entrepreneurs have not yet been able to receive the benefits granted under this ambitious PMEGP for the past three financial year, he maintained.
Keeping in view socio-economic conditions of people in hilly areas and with a view to promote small and micro scale industries in such areas, the rules including the third party survey must be simplifies so that maximum number of people could be encouraged for taking upself-employment, maintain industry experts here.
The PMEGP was introduced in 2008 with a view to boost micro and small scale industry and generate employment in remote and hilly areas.
Though the said progamme has been able to encourage young entrepreneurs for taking up sel-employment as the officials concernedof the district industry centre maintain, people particularly, the entrepreneurs here believe that the less there is bureaucraticinterference the easier it would be to encourage the people in this sector.
As the officials concerned of the district industry centre inform, while reserved category entrepreneurs can get 35 per cent subsidy in rural areas and 25 per cent subsidy in urban areas under this PMEGP, general category people can get 15 per cent subsidy in urban areas and 25 per cent subsidy in rural areas under the same PMEGP for setting up industries.
The difficulties which are coming in the way of ensuring speedy clearance of the subsidy to the entrepreneurs, the Government must assign the task of third party survey to the officials concerned of the respective district industry centres as they are better informed about the situation on the ground.
Since it is a Government of India’s scheme, therefore all the three departments including Gram Udyog, Zila Udyog Kendra and the Khadi Commission are running this programme