Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 17: Commis-sioner Secretary, Industries and Commerce Department, Shailendra Kumar today reviewed the performance under Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) at a bankers meeting held here today.
Secretary Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB) Mir Afroz, representatives of various banks and other concerned senior functionaries attended the meeting.
Terming bankers and the KVIB as equal contributors in providing employment opportunities to the rural youth, Commissioner Secretary impressed upon the participants to work with utmost zeal and dedication to ensure adequate lending to small and marginal entrepreneurs, especially the youth from rural areas.
He advised the bankers to issue suitable instructions to their subordinate branches/ controlling offices for meticulous and strict compliance to the recommendations of the RBI regarding credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises. He asked them to work together for the cause of eradication of unemployment as the scheme has been formulated for unemployed youth.
It was informed in the meeting that the applications are now being received online which helps in bringing transparency in the system. Online system also facilitates the candidates to monitor the status of their applications.
Shailendra Kumar directed the officers to complete all necessary formalities once they receive the applications to facilitate quick processing and sanction of funds. He underlined the need for adhering to the guidelines while verifying the candidates for approval.
He further stressed on providing proper assistance to the applicants by the board by establishing help desk, where they can be guided in choosing business units as per the local potential. He further directed for organizing awareness and training camps for the youth at regular intervals.
Earlier, Secretary KVIB informed the chair that the progress of the bankable PMEGP scheme fully depends upon the sanctions/releases of the loan components by the banks. He asked the bankers to expeditiously sanction and release loans to the entrepreneurs whose cases have been forwarded by the chairman of the task force committee. He said that KVIB cannot achieve its targets without the coordinated support of the Banks.
Threadbare discussion was held on various vital issues including number of the applications received, number of DLTFC meetings held, number of cases selected by DLTFC, number of cases sponsored against the target, number of cases sanctioned by the banks, bank wise detail of cases sanctioned during last year and Margin Money disbursed by the nodal bank branches during current financial year.