Toshi Tiwari
As per reports, Union Minister for MSME, Nitin Gadkari, presented a written data in the Lok Sabha which revealed that under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) 5.87 lakh micro enterprise jobs were created during the year 2018-19.
According to the reports, the minister quoted, ‘this large number of employment opportunities was created with the use of relatively less capital in the MSME sector. Gadkari added that under PMEGP, the employment generated during the years 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, and 2017-18 was 3.58 lakh, 3.23 lakh, 4.08 lakh, and 3.87 lakh, respectively.
The minister also quoted that as per the 73rd Round of National Sample Survey (NSS), conducted by National Sample Survey Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, during 2015-16, the estimated number of workers in unincorporated non-agricultural MSMEs in the country was 11.1 crore.
Adding that the PMEGP scheme is a credit-linked subsidy programme aimed at generating self-employment opportunities, Gadkari presented the state-wise details of targets set and employment generated under the scheme during the last three years. As per the provisional figures for 2018-19, 5.87 lakh jobs were created under PMEGP against the target of 5.79 lakh jobs.
It is also reported that the most jobs were created in the states of Jammu and Kashmir (60,232), Maharashtra (45,136), Uttar Pradesh (41,944), and Tamil Nadu (41,480) respectively.
The minister also highlighted out other schemes implemented by the MSME Ministry, such as Micro and Small Enterprises-Cluster Development Programme (MSE-CDP), Scheme for Promotion of MSMEs in North Eastern Region and Sikkim, Tool Rooms and Technology Centers, Mission Solar Charkha (MSC), Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI), and more.
