Centre earmarks Rs 1,000 cr for MSMEs in North East: Official

The Centre has earmarked Rs 1,000 crore for implementation of various schemes for micro small and medium enterprises of the North East region in the 2018-19 fiscal, an official said today.

The schemes are Central sector schemes in which a specific percentage of the budgetary allocation are allocated for SC, ST and the North East, said M Sreenivasulu, Director of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises-Development Institute, Guwahati.

He, however, said there is lack of awareness about these programmes at the grass-root level, as a result of which their benefits have not reached the exact target group.

Sreenivasulu said that his institute, established in 1958, is primarily engaged in the implementation of schemes of the Ministry of MSME towards encouragement of self-employment among the unemployed youth, as well as promotion and development of the sector in the region.

He made particular mention of the Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme (CGFS) and Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP).

Sreenivasulu added that the government also provides special incentives under various interventions to industrial clusters, but in many cases they are not availed.