Applications pour in for PMEGP in DK dist

With the receipt of 167 applications, DK district has drawn  good response from the aspirants who want to establish small scale business enterprises in rural areas under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP). 

The highest number of applications (51) have been received from Sullia taluk, while Puttur has lowest number of applicants (20). The applications received from Bantwal, Belthangadi and Mangalore taluks are 33, 27 and 36 respectively. Out of 167 applications, the category wise details of the applications received are as follows: General - 13, OBC - 87, Minority - 54, SC - 6 and ST - 5.

The programme has also got prominence in the wake of statement made by Union Minister K H Muniyappa in Hubli that it will be ensured that a minimum of 100 beneficiaries will be selected from each district so as to generate 5 lakh employments in the nation.

Towards the implementation of PMEGP, Karnataka Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is acting as the nodal agency in the State to see to that the project is being implemented successfully in each district. Discretion powers are enjoyed by recognised banks, from which the applicants avail the loan.

State Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB) District Officer Veerappa Poojary told Deccan Herald that 167 applications have been received in the district for the second term of the programme and the total project cost and the margin money (subsidy) will be Rs 2,183.49 and Rs 767.73 crore respectively.  The accepted applications will then be recommended for the sanction of loans and margin money, he said and added that the main advantages of the programme are the beneficiaries have to invest only 10 per cent of the project cost of their small scale business enterprise (5 per cent in the case SC/ST ) and income limit is not a criteria.

PMEGP is expected to create around 3,000 employments in the district as it has been made mandatory for the beneficiaries to create one employment for each lakh of loan they avail.