New policy to focus on promoting industry in rural areas: Prabhu

The government has finalised a new industrial policy with a major focus on promoting setting up of industrial units in rural areas, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu said today.

The policy is set to be announced soon, he said while addressing a function organised to celebrate Panchayati Raj Diwas under Gram Swaraj Abhiyan at Gurgaon in Haryana today.

A meeting was convened with chief ministers of several states and their suggestions were sought to finalise the new industrial policy, an official release quoted him as saying.

"The Centre and the state governments are working to improve the standard of living of people by linking them to small scale industries. Through the medium of this industrial policy, emphasis has been laid on setting up of industries in rural areas, linking of self help groups and co-operative institutions with small scale industries and with global supply chain," Prabhu said.

He said that under Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, activities are being undertaken across the country so that the last person in the society gets the information about government schemes and they could take the benefit of schemes.

While praising the village Lohsinghani in Gurgaon, he said that efforts are being made to develop all the villages and generate awareness about government schemes to the people residing in villages.

Referring to Ayushman Bharat Yojana, he said that now the government would bear the cost of hospital expenses of BPL families" members also. Efforts are being made to provide all government schemes to every household in the country, he said.

He said that the progress of the country lies in the development of all the villages.