Imphal, Jan 16 Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Thursday said that his state topped the list of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) business registration among the northeastern states.
Referring to the report of the Ministry of MSME, the Chief Minister said that Manipur alone has 12,438 MSME businesses, the highest in the northeast during the period from 2015 to 2019.
Addressing the state-level workshop on UNNATI (Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization Scheme) and RAMP (Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance), he informed that 50 per cent of the MSME businesses are owned by women.
Manipur’s share in the national population is 0.2 per cent while Manipur’s share in MSME businesses is 0.3 per cent, he added.
The workshop was organised by the Department of Trade, Commerce and Industries of the state government.
The Chief Minister stated that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the northeast is set to become the ‘Growth Engine of New India’.
Highlighting that Manipuri people are highly enterprising, Singh said the BJP-led state government in the state has taken up various initiatives for the development of the state since its formation in 2017.
He recalled that the 'One Family One Livelihood' mission was launched to offer financial support to families, enabling them to establish their own enterprises and become self-reliant.
Under the scheme, the maximum loan amount available is Rs 10 lakh which is collateral-free, 30 per cent is provided as a grant, he added.
He further maintained that the government is encouraging the youth to avail the opportunities of the government schemes to generate employment etc. The Chief Minister said, that under the Manipur State Credit Guarantee Scheme, around 2,575 entrepreneurs have benefited.
Of the total fund allocation of around Rs 700 crore, about Rs 200 crore has been used so far, leaving Rs 500 crore unutilised, Singh said.
He informed that seven successful start-ups in Manipur have created employment opportunities for around 300 violence-hit displaced persons, demonstrating the success of their enterprises.
He further mentioned that the challenges faced by small enterprises are the lack of technical support and awareness.
To help in the economic revival of the state, the Chief Minister informed that a cell has been set up under the planning department, particularly for agriculture and horticulture sectors, and acquired seasonal crop seeds of around Rs 6 crore.
Singh said Manipur has been spending huge amounts of money on the import of essential commodities such as eggs, and fish. He elaborated that the state needs around 2 lakh eggs daily, costing over Rs 10 lakhs. To meet the requirement, the government has sought assistance from the North Eastern Council (NEC) for the procurement of machinery.
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