NEW DELHI, January 18 (MIC): State Commerce and Industries Minister Govindas Konthoujam today informed the 13th Meeting of the National Board for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) held at Vigyan Bhawan here that the Government of Manipur had recently launched ‘Make in Manipur initiative for Employment Generation’ on November 26 focusing on micro & small enterprises based on produces from agriculture, horticulture, forest, handloom, handicrafts, fisheries and animal husbandry in a cluster based approach.
In the meeting which was chaired by Union Minister for MSME Kalraj Mishra, Minister Govindas stated that the Government of Manipur combined the efforts under ‘Make in India’, ‘Skill India’ and ‘Ease of doing Business’.
He expressed happiness on the sanction of nine Livelihood Business Incubators (LBIs) for Manipur out of 22 sanctioned by Government of India under ASPIRE scheme.
He said, “These nine LBIs, one in each of nine Districts of Manipur are going to play a crucial role in our ‘Make in Manipur initiative’. The creation of more employment opportunities to educated unemployed youth shall pave the path of peace and prosperity in Manipur as per the vision of Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh. In addition, one rapid Incubation Centre is being set up by National Small Industries Corporation Ltd (NSIC) in Imphal”.
Under the Cluster Development Programme (CDP) for infrastructural development, the Minister stated that the State Government got approval as well as release of the first instalment for three new Industrial Estates in the hill district of Ukhrul, Chandel and Churachandpur in Manipur.
Infrastructural development of three earlier Industrial Estates of Takeylpat in Imphal West, Tera Urak in Bishnupur and Kuraopokpi in Thoubal district has been completed, he said.
He requested that in the next Steering Committee meeting, the proposal of Industrial Estates for the three remaining districts of Senapati, Imphal East and Tamenglong be considered for approval.
This would ensure Industrial Estates in each of the nine districts in Manipur which would be linked with the concerned LBI in the district, Govindas asserted.
He thanked the Development Commissioner, MSME for having accepted Diagnostic Study Reports for Common Facility Centre (CFC) under CDP in each of the nine districts of Manipur.
Accordingly, the State Government submitted Detailed Project Reports (DPR) for consideration in the next Steering Committee meeting for approval, he maintained.
Highlighting the importance of Khadi and village industries in the economy of Manipur, Minister Govindas stated that under the revised SFURTI guidelines, the State Government submitted DPRs for 10 clusters with due recommendations of the regional office of KVIC at Guwahati and urged the KVIC Headquarters to consider the DPRs for approval in the current financial year.
He also urged the Centre to release the margin money under PMeGP scheme liberally as the State Government had a huge backlog of cases duly recommended by the District Level Task Force.
He said, “We are making special efforts to link PMeGP beneficiaries with LBIs being set up in each district so as to provide necessary handholding for a minimum one cycle of income generation activity”.
He also drew the attention of the Union Minister for MSME to issue a strong instruction to the bankers through RBI for early release of loan to all the selected beneficiaries under PMeGP.
The Minister said that a new Technology Centre in Imphal under the mentorship of FFDC, Kannauj was agreed upon by DC, MSME.
An area of 30.00 acres of land at Ningthoukhong Awang in Bishnupur district was acquired for cultivation of aromatic and medicinal plants and providing of demonstration, training and oil distillation units. This was in addition to the 5 acres of land at Nillakuthi for housing its administrative building, quality assessment laboratory, processing and valuation of essential oils, training & hostel, library, aromatic gardens and others, he elaborated.
It would be handed over to MSME-DI, Takyel Industrial Estate on lease for a period of 90 years. The World Bank under Technology Centre System Programme (TCSP) would be requested to expedite preparation of DPR for the project, he said.
Minister Govindas requested the Union Minister for MSME to visit Manipur for inaugurating Industrial Estates in Takeylpet, Tera Urak and Kuraopokpi and laying the foundation stones for i-CAMP (an extension unit of FFDC), three new industrial Estates in Chandel, Churachandpur and Ukhrul district, nine LBIs and one Rapid Incubation Centre in Manipur.
He also informed the meeting that the State Government would extend invitation to all dignitaries and members of the National Board for MSME for visiting Manipur during April 5-11, 2016 for an Industrial Expo in Imphal to be held on the theme ‘Make in Manipur’ and ‘Start up –Stand up India’.