Aspiring applicants queuing up at the Office of the General Manager, District Industries Centre, Mokokchung to collect application forms for PMEGP. Only 80 forms were issued, and the forms were sold for Rs.100 each. (Morung Photo)
Mokokchung | June 12 : If you are without a job notwithstanding your active hunt for one within the past four weeks, then you are an unemployed. That is how the International Labour Organization defines unemployment. Considerable theoretical debate regarding causes, consequences and solutions for unemployment has been doing the rounds in Nagaland’s context over the years, even as number of the potentially productive yet jobless lot continues to inflate into near perpetuity.
Unemployment is an issue nations across the globe put their heads together to put an end to. The government of India since 2008 has come up with the PMEGP to generate employment opportunities in rural as well as urban areas of the country through setting up of new self employment ventures, projects and micro enterprises.
In Mokokchung district of Nagaland, however, all is not well as far as implementation of the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) goes, a sight not too pleasant in the eyes of the thousands of unemployed youth. General Manager of the District Industries Centre, Mokokchung, Hokishe Assumi has made it clear that only 80 applicants will be entertained this year, out of which only 18 beneficiaries will be selected and funded. Interestingly, the application forms for the PMEGP are being sold at the rate of Rs.100 per form, without any note of receipt of course, which has been the practice going on over the years. DIC Mokokchung officials informed that Mokokchung district has been allowed “a quota of 18 beneficiaries to be selected and funded.”
On the question of collecting Rs.100 per application form, the DIC Mokokchung General Manager explained that the amount thus collected is ‘accounted’ and that the sum is being used to meet the miscellany involved with the whole process of PMEGP, including offering tea and snacks to the selection board members!
On the question of why only 80 application forms were issued as raised by this correspondent, the General Manager said that since only 18 beneficiaries are to be ultimately selected, there was no point in issuing forms to all and sundry. “It is rather a harassment issuing hundreds of forms when only 18 are to be selected,” he added.
As per the guidelines provided by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India, the forms are to be issued free of cost, which can also be downloaded by interested applicants from the PMEGP website. Issuing just 80 application forms, strictly from the DIC Office, is quite contravening as it is clearly stated under the PMEGP guidelines that any adult citizen can apply for funds under PMEGP.
Further, project reports which are to be submitted along with the application forms by the applicants are being sold ‘in signed and readymade form’ within the DIC office walls itself at the rate of Rs.500 per copy. It is provided under the guidelines that the Inspectors under the DIC are to assist the beneficiaries in preparing their project reports, and not sell readymade project reports. On the collection of a ‘fee’ of Rs. 500 per signed and readymade project reports, the General Manager, DIC Mokokchung clarified that self prepared project reports are “also accepted.”
However, there are others who think otherwise. “This is extortion in broad daylight. They are salaried by the government to do their job; and if they are not performing their job, they must be fired” are the words of an applicant, who requested not to be mentioned for certain reasons.
Whereas a beneficiary can submit project reports on a wide array of enterprises, these readymade project reports being sold at DIC Mokokchung are found to cater just a paltry four or five enterprises that include carpentry unit, piggery, steel fabrication unit and stone quarry unit. Whereas the Nagaland Khadi & Village Industries Commission, Dimapur had, as per their advertisement floated in the local dailies on May 25 last, informed that application forms for PMEGP would be issued on June 2nd and 3rd, 2011 and free of cost, the forms were issued in Mokokchung almost a week later, and not free of cost. Forty application forms were issued on June 7 and another 40 the next day. Amrit Giri, Inspector of Industries, Mokokchung issued a press note to the vernacular dailies on June 3, 2011 stating that interested individuals may collect the forms after submitting two passport sized photos of the applicants but never mentioned that applicants needed to pay Rs.100 each. Further, the Nagaland KVIC, Dimapur had in its advertisement informed that the last date of submission of forms would be June 10, 2011 while the Inspector of Industries, DIC Mokokchung informed that the last date would be June 15, 2011.
Unemployment is an issue nations across the globe put their heads together to put an end to. The government of India since 2008 has come up with the PMEGP to generate employment opportunities in rural as well as urban areas of the country through setting up of new self employment ventures, projects and micro enterprises.
In Mokokchung district of Nagaland, however, all is not well as far as implementation of the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) goes, a sight not too pleasant in the eyes of the thousands of unemployed youth. General Manager of the District Industries Centre, Mokokchung, Hokishe Assumi has made it clear that only 80 applicants will be entertained this year, out of which only 18 beneficiaries will be selected and funded. Interestingly, the application forms for the PMEGP are being sold at the rate of Rs.100 per form, without any note of receipt of course, which has been the practice going on over the years. DIC Mokokchung officials informed that Mokokchung district has been allowed “a quota of 18 beneficiaries to be selected and funded.”
On the question of collecting Rs.100 per application form, the DIC Mokokchung General Manager explained that the amount thus collected is ‘accounted’ and that the sum is being used to meet the miscellany involved with the whole process of PMEGP, including offering tea and snacks to the selection board members!
On the question of why only 80 application forms were issued as raised by this correspondent, the General Manager said that since only 18 beneficiaries are to be ultimately selected, there was no point in issuing forms to all and sundry. “It is rather a harassment issuing hundreds of forms when only 18 are to be selected,” he added.
As per the guidelines provided by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India, the forms are to be issued free of cost, which can also be downloaded by interested applicants from the PMEGP website. Issuing just 80 application forms, strictly from the DIC Office, is quite contravening as it is clearly stated under the PMEGP guidelines that any adult citizen can apply for funds under PMEGP.
Further, project reports which are to be submitted along with the application forms by the applicants are being sold ‘in signed and readymade form’ within the DIC office walls itself at the rate of Rs.500 per copy. It is provided under the guidelines that the Inspectors under the DIC are to assist the beneficiaries in preparing their project reports, and not sell readymade project reports. On the collection of a ‘fee’ of Rs. 500 per signed and readymade project reports, the General Manager, DIC Mokokchung clarified that self prepared project reports are “also accepted.”
However, there are others who think otherwise. “This is extortion in broad daylight. They are salaried by the government to do their job; and if they are not performing their job, they must be fired” are the words of an applicant, who requested not to be mentioned for certain reasons.
Whereas a beneficiary can submit project reports on a wide array of enterprises, these readymade project reports being sold at DIC Mokokchung are found to cater just a paltry four or five enterprises that include carpentry unit, piggery, steel fabrication unit and stone quarry unit. Whereas the Nagaland Khadi & Village Industries Commission, Dimapur had, as per their advertisement floated in the local dailies on May 25 last, informed that application forms for PMEGP would be issued on June 2nd and 3rd, 2011 and free of cost, the forms were issued in Mokokchung almost a week later, and not free of cost. Forty application forms were issued on June 7 and another 40 the next day. Amrit Giri, Inspector of Industries, Mokokchung issued a press note to the vernacular dailies on June 3, 2011 stating that interested individuals may collect the forms after submitting two passport sized photos of the applicants but never mentioned that applicants needed to pay Rs.100 each. Further, the Nagaland KVIC, Dimapur had in its advertisement informed that the last date of submission of forms would be June 10, 2011 while the Inspector of Industries, DIC Mokokchung informed that the last date would be June 15, 2011.
A brief sketch on PMEGP
Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) is a credit linked subsidy programme under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India. It has been introduced by merging the two schemes, namely, Prime Minister’s Rojgar Yojana (PMRY) and Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP), in effect since August, 2008.
The Scheme is being implemented by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Mumbai, as the single nodal agency at the national level. At the State level, the scheme is implemented through State Directorates of KVIC, State Khadi and Village Industries Boards (KVIBs) and District Industries Centres in rural areas. In urban areas, the Scheme is implemented by the State District Industries Centres (DICs) only. As per information displayed at the PMEGP website, the Scheme aims to create 14,18,833 employments during the year 2011-12, for which a margin money of Rupees 1702.60 crores has been earmarked. Any adult beneficiary above 18 years is eligible for financing under PMEGP, provided he is standard eight passed. The maximum amount of assistance a beneficiary can be extended under PMEGP is Rs.25 lakhs for manufacturing unit and Rs.10 lakhs for service sector units. However, only new units can avail the funds under PMEGP.
Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) is a credit linked subsidy programme under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India. It has been introduced by merging the two schemes, namely, Prime Minister’s Rojgar Yojana (PMRY) and Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP), in effect since August, 2008.
The Scheme is being implemented by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Mumbai, as the single nodal agency at the national level. At the State level, the scheme is implemented through State Directorates of KVIC, State Khadi and Village Industries Boards (KVIBs) and District Industries Centres in rural areas. In urban areas, the Scheme is implemented by the State District Industries Centres (DICs) only. As per information displayed at the PMEGP website, the Scheme aims to create 14,18,833 employments during the year 2011-12, for which a margin money of Rupees 1702.60 crores has been earmarked. Any adult beneficiary above 18 years is eligible for financing under PMEGP, provided he is standard eight passed. The maximum amount of assistance a beneficiary can be extended under PMEGP is Rs.25 lakhs for manufacturing unit and Rs.10 lakhs for service sector units. However, only new units can avail the funds under PMEGP.
