Yogi Adityanath govt moots policy to promote SC/ST entrepreneurs

The dalit community constitutes more than 20% of UP population

In a significant socio-economic outreach to the disadvantaged sections of society, the Uttar Pradesh government has mooted a policy to promote entrepreneurs belonging to the scheduled caste (SC) and scheduled tribe (ST) communities in the state.

The government will study similar existing policies in other states to draft its policy document for maximising the benefits for SC/ST entrepreneurs and their business ventures.

A three-member committee comprising the UP Chapter President of Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DICCI) Kunwar Shashank, UP industry commissioner and joint commissioner, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), has been formed to study the subject and submit a report for preparing the policy.

UP MSME and Export Promotion Minister Sidharth Nath Singh said the state government wanted to create an inclusive business environment so that all the sections could benefit equally.

Recently, a delegation of DICCI submitted a memorandum to the Adityanath government demanding incentives and exemptions for Dalit entrepreneurs, including land availability, easy credit, special assistance grant, stamp duty and registration fee exemption, etc.

“The chief minister has issued instructions in this regard and the SC/ST community entrepreneurs would be provided with special incentives,” Singh informed.

Besides, the government is planning to run industry-oriented programmes for the community. The UP government has already identified four nodal agencies in the state to facilitate the marketing of products manufactured at plants operated by the members belonging to the SC/ST community. These include UP Trade Promotion Authority, UP Laghu Udyog Nigam, UP Industrial Consultants Limited and Lucknow-based Entrepreneur Development Institute.

“The government is committed to the promotion of industry. Apart from implementing transparent industrial development policies, the state is striving to ensuring systems for easy and speedy compliance, so that the entrepreneurs do not face any difficulty in setting up and running their enterprises,” the cabinet minister underlined.

Meanwhile, UP's Additional Chief Secretary, MSME and Export Promotion, Navneet Sehgal said the state was planning to providing a host of sops to the SC/ST entrepreneurs pertaining to the easy land allotment, margin money subsidy, interest subsidy, capital interest subsidy, venture capital fund, provision of direct funding, business facilitation centre, quota in government procurement etc.

All these proposals are likely to be incorporated in the proposed policy once the committee studies the subject and submits its recommendations after brainstorming and the consultative process.

Meanwhile, UP Scheduled Caste Finance and Development Corporation chairperson Lalji Nirmal told Business Standard that the socio-economic condition of the Dalits would not improve unless they were also given economic freedom beyond the ambit of social justice and reservations in government jobs.

“The UP government is taking a number of steps to promote the SC/ST entrepreneurs and to turn them into job givers from their current status of job seekers,” he said.