Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network
Guwahati, August 06 2009:
About 9270 number of persons have gained suitable employment under the PM's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) during the year 2008-09 in the North Eastern states, according to a statement by Dinsha Patel, Minister of State (MoS) for Macro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the Lok Sabha recently.
According to the information, the PMEGP scheme has created tremendous enthusiasm in the country among the unemployed youths to set up micro-enterprises with 30466 applications received so far in the NE Region.
About 927 projects have been sanctioned by the banks in the region involving an amount of Rs.768.27 lakhs which is estimated to generate about 38 lakh employment opportunities in the country during 2008-09 to 2011-12 .
The Ministry of MS & ME, Government of India has launched the PMEGP during 2008-09 by merging the REGP and PMRY.
It is implemented by the KVIC, state-level KVIBs and DICs.
An amount of Rs.85 crores was released by the Ministry to the KVIC during 2008-09 for the NE Region.
Release of funds under PMEGP is done on the basis of a set of criteria which includes the extent of rural population, backwardness, prevalence of urban employment, availability of skill and raw materials, past performance in schemes like REGP.
The progress of the scheme is being monitored regularly by the KVIC and in the National level Monitoring Committee in the Ministry.
The Union minister stated that state governments have also been requested to closely monitor the implementation of the scheme at their level.
In the NE Region, the beneficiary's contribution to the total project cost is 5% and rate of subsidy is 25% in urban areas and 35% in rural areas.