Entrepreneurs in the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector on Wednesday called upon the State Government to form a separate corporation under the MSME Department that will specifically cater to their needs.
A dedicated regulatory and facilitation body for the MSME sector has become imperative as the IDCO has deviated from its avowed objectives of working for MSME sector and focused all its efforts on the large industries and profit-making, they alleged.
While a separate Corporation under MSME Department should be created in the interim period, all activities relating to the development of MSMEs in the State should be taken out of IDCO and entrusted on OSIC, the District Small Scale Industries Association (DSSIA) of undivided Puri district, including Khurda, Puri and Nayagarh demanded at a media conference here.
More than 115 units in the MSE sector across the industrial estates in this region are undergoing serious problems due to the apathy and non-cooperation of IDCO and its policies. Citing instances, the Association said under IPR 2007, land was allotted at concessional rates to MSMEs which has been discontinued since 2010. The entrepreneurs under BMC area are being demanded rate equivalent to the bench mark valuation, which on Wednesday amounts to `5 crore per acre. “How does the IDCO expect MSME entrepreneurs to afford such a high cost of land. Further benchmark valuation is applicable to freehold land only and IDCO lands are leasehold which should not accrue the valuation”, president Smarajit Mohanty alleged.
The Association has demanded regularisation of land and plots under adverse possession on payment of prevalent land rate effective at the time of application and not on IDCO’s circular that stipulates realisation of fees of twice the prevalent land cost. “Though change of activities by units through diversification without any minimum period of utilisation has been allowed, we are also facing harassment and delay in grant of permission”, secretary Pradipta Moharana said.