Over 2 million get employed under job scheme

Over two million people have been provided employment and Rs 5,381.63 crore released under the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), since it was launched by the ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) on August 15, 2008. According to a release of the ministry, more than 233,000 lakh projects have already been assisted.

The government has been enhancing the allocation for PMEGP every year and the allocation for 2013-14 is Rs 1,418.28 crore. For the country as a whole, the outlay for the PMEGP in the Twelfth Plan is Rs 8,060 crore - 70 per cent higher than the allocation in the Eleventh Plan.

"The PMEGP is a major credit-linked subsidy programme aimed at generating self-employment opportunities, as well as wage employment through establishment of micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector by helping traditional artisans and unemployed youth. KVIC [the Khadi and Village Industries Commission] is the Nodal agency at national level to implement the scheme across the country," according to the ministry's statement.

An advisory committee has been constituted for each district, to achieve quick and effective monitoring of the scheme. The ministry has also directed KVIC and the implementing agencies to ensure that at least 100 projects per district are assisted under the scheme in the current fiscal year.

Any project in the manufacturing sector costing up to Rs 25 lakh, and in the service sector up to Rs 10 lakh, is eligible for assistance under the PMEGP. The assistance is in the form of margin money subsidy for mobilising bank credit. The rate of subsidy is 25 per cent of the project cost in rural areas and 15 per cent in urban areas for the general category.

For special categories such as Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Castes, minorities, women, ex-servicemen, physically handicapped, the northeastern region, and hill and border areas, the subsidy is 35 per cent in rural areas and 25 per cent in urban areas. The beneficiary contribution is five per cent of the project cost for special categories and 10 per cent for general categories. Any individuals above 18 years of age is eligible for assistance.