BHUBANESWAR: Union Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday said the Centre is making consistent efforts to involve States, industry associations, banks and Central public sector enterprises to work cohesively towards a shared goal of creating job opportunities for the youths.After unveiling the State Conclave of National SC/ST Hub as well as the Integrated Marketing Development Centre, ‘Dharmapada Bhawan’ here, he said the hub launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become a mass movement in MSME sector. “This initiative is aimed at grooming SC/ST entrepreneurs who can create job opportunities for others,” the Minister said.
Pradhan said the common facility centre at the new Integrated Marketing Development Centre will impart quality skill training and provide information as well as guidance to budding SC/ST entrepreneurs. The new centre will have a dedicated helpline for MSME entrepreneurs. Aspiring SC/ST entrepreneurs should take opportunities available in the upcoming textile park to be established in Bhadrak soon, he added.
Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram said the MoU signed between NSIC and SAP would provide designed modules to SC/ST entrepreneurs through advanced software. He advised young entrepreneurs to start new ventures to sell minor forest produce and organic products available in tribal dominated districts of the State. He called upon the State Government to activate Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation (TDCC) for which his Ministry is ready to provide financial support.
In his address, Union Minister of State for MSME Giriraj Singh said ‘One District One Product’ scheme will be launched soon in Odisha. He asked Union Secretary, MSME Arun Panda to conduct a survey of districts in the State on the potential of starting new MSME units in aromatic, agro, marine food processing, organic food marketing, turmeric and ginger processing sectors. Singh said farmers of Kandhamal district will be taken to Maharashtra for a field visit to witness agro clusters there. He said 50,000 agro entrepreneurs will be imparted training in Odisha.
The MSME Ministry has planned to groom 18 lakh new young entrepreneurs in the coming days. The Union Minister said mobile vans will move in rural areas of the State to provide basic skill training to budding entrepreneurs. The purpose of the conclave is to create awareness of schemes under NSSH like special marketing assistance scheme, single point registration scheme in addition to disseminating information on Central schemes like MUDRA, Stand-up-India, Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE).