Chandigarh : A meeting of the Punjab Khadi and Village Industries Board has been held today i.e. 27.05.2021 at Punjab Bhawan, Chandigarh under the chairmanship of Smt. Mamta Dutta, Chairperson, PKVIB. Sh. Anil Mehta, Senior Vice Chairman, PKVIB, Sh. Major Singh Bhaini, Vice Chairman, PKVIB along with other non-official members of the Pb. Khadi Board were present on this occasion.
Chairperson in her address mentioned that the Khadi Board is very important organization working for Ghar Ghar Rozgar program of the Govt. so as to realize the resolution of Captain Amarinder Singh, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Punjab to provide employment, especially in the rural areas to every household. Chairperson was all praise for Hon’ble Industries & Commerce Minister for his dynamic handling of the Department of Industries and his effort at generating employment in Industry. Also, thanked Sh. Alok Shekhar, IAS Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce, Punjab, Sh. Sibin C, IAS, Director of Industries & Commerce, Punjab as well officers of the Industries Department, for their cooperation in achieving the employment generation targets. Senior Vice Chairman congratulated Smt. Mamta Dutta, on achieving the employment generation targets as well as praised her for her expeditious efforts in important welfare tasks such as waiver of 5 % penal interest in CBC loans, direct referring of loan case to banks and other long pending claims of loanees by taking up the matter with higher ups of Khadi Commission, Govt. of India. It is relevant to mention here that PKVIB is the principal State Govt. agency for over 60 years in creating self employment (Ghar- Ghar Rozgar) ventures. The objective of the Khadi Board is to provide training and employment to rural unemployed youth of the State by providing easy financial assistance to set up self employment ventures and thus improve the economic conditions of the rural population by fostering self reliance and entrepreneurship. It also provides marketing support to the entrepreneurs.
The Khadi Board is implementing the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Program Scheme of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, Govt. of India, w.e.f. 2008-09. Under this Scheme, projects up to Rs.25.00 lacs are set up and margin money @ 25% is provided to the General Category, whereas, it is 35% for the reserved category, like; SC/ST, OBC, Women, Ex-servicemen, Physically Handicapped, Minority community, Border Area, etc. Under this scheme, main emphasis is to uplift the women, poor and downtrodden, SC/ST rural unemployed entrepreneurs. For Service sector enterprises, loans are available upto Rs 10 lacs. From the commencement of the Board, more than 50000 units were set up involving loan of Rs.400.00 crore and Margin Money amounting to Rs.100.00 crore was released and employment for 2,50,000 persons was generated which included major position of women, SC/ST & poor downtrodden unemployed. The achievements of the Board by implementing the PMEGP Scheme have been considerably good since the commencement of the scheme. Last year achievement i.e. 2020-21 is 410 units for Rs.58 crores with margin money element amounting to Rs.14.51 crores and employment to 3280 persons.
In conclusion, Chairperson thanked Senior Vice Chairman, Vice Chairman as well as members and officials of the Board present. She resolved to work hard for providing opportunities for employment generation to the needy rural youth of the State.
