The Fact News Service
Chandigarh, September 9
Inderjeet Singh Mann, Chairman assumed charge of the Punjab Khadi and Village Industries Board today.
He joined in the august presence of Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer Cabinet Minister, Punjab, Aman Arora Cabinet Minister, Punjab, Devinder Singh Laddi Dhos, MLA, Dharamkot, Amritpal Singh, MLA, BaghaPurana, Rakesh Puri, Chairman, Forest Corporation, Amrit Lal Aggarwal, Chairman, Distt Planning Board, Bathinda,. Navdeep Singh Jeeda, Chairman, Sugarfed, Gurjant Singh Sivian, District President, Bathinda Rural, Baljinder Kaur, State President (Women Wing), AAP, Yograj Singh, Punjabi Actor, Mandeep Kaur, District President, BC Wing, AAP, Balwinder Singh, General Secretary, AAP, Bathinda, Adv Karamjit Singh Chahal along with all family members of the Chairman.
A day earlier, Inderjeet Singh Mann had called by Bhagwant Mann, Chief Minister, Punjab and Raghav Chadha, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha to seek his blessings and support in executing his duties.
Chairman in his address mentioned that the Khadi Board is very important organization working for employment generation to provide rozgar, especially in the rural areas to every household.
Chairman was all praise for Bhagwant Mann, Chief Minister, Punjab who is handling the charge of Department of Industries & Commerce and his effort at generating employment in Industry. He said he would work closely with Chief Minister so that the Khadi Board can make maximum contribution to employment generation. In this connection he would also seek maximum cooperation of Dilip Kumar, IAS Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce, Punjab, Sibin C, IAS, Director of Industries & Commerce, Punjab as well officers of the Industries Department, in achieving the employment generation targets.
It is relevant to mention here that PKVIB is the principal State Govt. agency for over 60 Years in creating self-employment ventures. Chairman specially stressed that it is not only important to set up new ventures, it is equally important to sustained these ventures for which help is required to existing entrepreneurs to market their products. Chairman said he would place special emphasis on providing marketing opportunities to existing units.
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 entrepreneurs.
The Khadi Board is implementing the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Program Scheme of the Khadi Village Industries Commission, Govt. of India, w.e.f. 2008-09. Now Centre Government has approved projects up to Rs.50.00 lacs 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 commencement of the PMEGP scheme (2008-09 to 2022-23) more than 51,347 units were set up involving loan of Rs. 700.00 crore and Margin Money amounting to Rs.143.41 crore was released and employment for 2,75,205 persons was generated which included a major portion of women, SC/ST & poor downtrodden unemployed. Khadi Board has been consistently achieving 100% targets.
The PMEGP targets & achievements for the previous year (2021-22) are as follows:
Ranjeev Sharma, President of the Union of Industries &Commerce, Punjab and Mohan Lal Sharma, President of the Pensioner’s Association of the board has also warm welcomed the newly appointed Chairman.
In conclusion, Chairman thanked the Ministers & MLA’s and Chairman’s of the various Association present as well as officials of the Industries Department & Board present. He resolved to work hard for providing opportunities for employment generation to the needy rural youth of the State.
