Lok Sabha Question No. 3894 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-18
Subject: Creation of Employment Opportunities
Ministry: MICRO,SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
Asked by: Sukhbir Singh Jaunapuria

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3894 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.03.2021

## CREATION OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

## 3894. SHRI SUKHBIR SINGH JAUNAPURIA:

Will  the  Minister  of  MICRO,  SMALL  AND  MEDIUM  ENTERPRISES  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether traditional rural professions like weaving, spinning, blacksmithing, carpentry,  oil  crushing  are  vanishing  gradually  in  the  country  leading  to  migration  of youths to towns and cities;
- (b) if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;

(c) whether the Government proposes to formulate any scheme to check the migration of unemployed youths by creating more employment opportunities; and

- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SHRI NITIN GADKARI)

- (a): No Sir.
- (b): Does not arise.

(c)&(d): Government is implementing the following scheme/programme to generate employment for unemployed  youth including  traditional artisans  like  spinners,  weavers, blacksmiths,  carpenters,  potters,  beekeepers,  leather  artisans  etc.  in  the  country  through Khadi and Village  Industries  Commission (KVIC) and Coir  Board, thereby  curbing  the migration of unemployed youths:

(i) Khadi   Vikas   Yojana is implemented by KVIC to develop the Khadi programme in the  country  and  to  generate  employment  opportunities  to  the  artisans  viz.  spinners, weavers and other artisans by providing assistance under following components:

Modified Market Development Assistance (MMDA)  is  provided to the Khadi Institutions  and  Khadi  Artisans;  Interest  Subsidy  to  eligible  Khadi  Institutions  under Interest Subsidy Eligibility Certificate (ISEC) Scheme to ensure availability of working capital to Khadi Institutions; Work-sheds for providing sufficient space and congenial environment to Khadi Artisans; assistance to Strengthening of Weak Khadi Institutions; assistance for Modernization of Sales Outlets of Khadi Institutions.

(ii) Gramodyog Vikas Yojana: For the development of Village Industries the KVIC impart training under various disciplines like Bee-keeping, Pottery, Leather Craft, Rural Engineering, Carpentry, etc. To enhance the income of Traditional Artisans engaged in the village industries activities for which KVIC provides skill development training, tools and equipment, and also marketing support. Under Gramodyog Vikas Yojana, KVIC mainly focus on the following Industries:

- i. Honey  &  Beekeeping:  KVIC  has  started  beekeeping  programme  under  Honey Mission in the mid of 2017-18. Under this programme, 10 bee-boxes with live beecolonies are provided to each trained entrepreneurs.

ii. Kumhar   Sashaktikaran   Programme: Under this scheme, initiatives have been taken to uplift the lives of the rural pottery artisans by providing skill upgradation training and providing  new  home  scale  energy  efficient  equipment  like  Electric  Pottery  Wheels, Blungers, etc. for producing good quality of products.

iii. Leather Craft Artisan Empowerment of Programme: In order to arrest migration of the artisans from the Traditional Leather Art and Crafts to other urban jobs, KVIC has taken  the  initiatives  to  upgrade  their  skills  and  to  provide  tools  and  equipment  to enhance their earnings.

The increasing trend of employment generation during last three years is as follows:

|         | Cumulative Employment (in lakh persons)   | Cumulative Employment (in lakh persons)   | Cumulative Employment (in lakh persons)   |
|---------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
| Year    | Khadi                                     | Village Industries                        | Total                                     |
| 2017-18 | 4.65                                      | 135.71                                    | 140.36                                    |
| 2018-19 | 4.96                                      | 142.03                                    | 146.99                                    |
| 2019-20 | 4.97                                      | 147.76                                    | 152.73                                    |

(iii)  Prime  Minister's  Employment  Generation  Programme  (PMEGP)  is  a  credit  linked subsidy  scheme,  for  setting  up  of  new  micro-enterprises  and  to  generate  employment opportunities in rural as well as urban areas of the country through KVIC, State Khadi & Village  Industries  Boards  (KVIBs)  and  District  Industries  Centres  (DICs).    General category beneficiaries can avail of margin money subsidy of 25% of the project cost in rural areas and 15% in urban areas. For beneficiaries belonging to special categories such as  SC/ST/Women/  PH/  Minorities/  Ex-Servicemen/NER,  the  margin  money  subsidy  is 35% in rural areas and 25% in urban areas. The maximum cost of projects is Rs.25 lakh in the manufacturing sector and Rs.10 lakh in the service sector.

During the period from 2014-15 to 2020-21 (as on 31.01.2021), 374931 micro units (80%  in  rural  areas)  have  been  assisted  with  margin  money  of  Rs.10036.47  crore, generating estimated employment opportunities for 30 lakh persons.

(iv)  Coir  Board  is  implementing  the  Coir  Vikas  Yojana  to  cater  to  the multiple developmental needs of coir industry.  Interventions under the following components of the Scheme are taken up during the period from 2017-18 to 2019-20.

1. Skill Upgradation and Mahila Coir Yojana (MCY)
2. Coir Industry Technology Upgradation Scheme (CITUS)
3. Export Market Promotion (EMP)
4. Domestic Market Promotion (DMP)
5. Trade and Industry Related Functional Support Services (TIRFSS)
6. Welfare Measures (Group Personal Accident Insurance Scheme)
7. Science & Technology

(v) Under  Scheme  of  Fund  for  Regeneration  of  Traditional Industries  (SFURTI), traditional  artisans,  including  those  from  weaving,  spinning,  blacksmithy,  carpentry  and other  professions,  are  organized  into  clusters,  to  make  them  more  productive  and competitive.  The  Scheme  envisages  providing  need-based  assistance  for  replacement  of production equipment, setting up of Common  Facility Centres (CFCs), product development, quality improvement, improved marketing, training and capacity building, etc. Under this scheme, traditional industries clusters are developed.

As on 15.3.2021, 394 numbers of clusters have been approved under the scheme that will benefit more than 2.32 lakh artisans with a total Government assistance of about Rs.970.28 crore  These clusters are spread all over the country covering 287 districts. 93 of these clusters have been implemented as per the timelines envisaged in the guidelines of the scheme.