Within 24 hours of the announcement of special financial package for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector by the Centre, the Uttar Pradesh government approved Rs 2,002 crore as loan to 56,754 entrepreneurs, thus becoming the first state to give loans to MSMEs.
The loan amounts were transferred to the bank accounts of the entrepreneurs during a mega Rozgar Samaagam – an online loan mela - which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow on Thursday.
“The loans will provide additional employment to more than two lakh people. With this, UP has become the first state to provide loans to such large number of entrepreneurs in such a short time during lockdown,” the chief minister said.
On the occasion, he also launched Saathi portal of MSME to start a single window for the entrepreneurs in the state.
In his address, Yogi said that workers and labourers were the strength and capital of the state. “We will utilise their labour and skills to make UP a manufacturing hub of India. This is the best opportunity for us to do away with migration,” he said.
“Earlier people used to blame governments for migration of workers and labourers from the state but now these workers would be the main strength of the state. A record of the skills of every labourer is also being prepared so that they can be given jobs,” the chief minister said.
Yogi further said that during Deepawali, Gauri-Ganesh idols from China were sold on a large scale across the country but this time round, UP would try the local units to offer an alternative.
“Entrepreneurs of Gorakhpur who make terracotta goods have the skill and can also make superior sculptures as compared to China. The government will provide all possible help for this,” he said.
Yogi said that the MSME sector of the state was the largest in India (90 lakh units) and many of these units made products which were popular across the country and the globe.
He also asked officials to make UP a ready-made garment hub of Asia.
“The only thing needed is to give them opportunities. During the coronavirus pandemic, 26 new units of PPE (personal protective equipment) were set up in UP. There are several such examples where the state has excelled,” the
chief minister said.
An official in Lucknow said that the government had relaxed the process of getting no objection certificate (NOC) for setting up new MSME units in the state.
“Except for environment norms, all rules of NOC have been relaxed and a time frame has been set to provide NOC by the department concerned. The system has been made fully automatic for hassle-free sanctions,” he said.
Sources said that the during the loan mela, any entrepreneur could seek loan by applying online. The government has already gone for a single window system for helping out MSME and new industrial units to be set up in the state.