Imphal: Chief Minister N. Biren Singh attended State Level Workshop on UNNATI (Uttar Purva Transformative Industrialization Scheme) and RAMP (Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance) 2024 held at City Convention Centre, Imphal today. The workshop was organised by the Department of Trade, Commerce and Industries, Government of Manipur.
Speaking as chief guest, the Chief Minister stated that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Northeast is set to become the ‘Growth Engine of New India’.
N. Biren Singh highlighted that the Manipuri people are highly enterprising. According to the Ministry of MSME’s Annual Report (2018-19), Manipur topped the list of micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) business registrations among the Northeastern states.Â
Manipur alone has 12,438 MSME businesses, the highest in the Northeast during the period from 2015 to 2019, he added. He informed that 50 per cent of the businesses are owned by women. Manipur’s share in national population is 0.2 per cent while Manipur’s share in MSME businesses is 0.3 per cent, he added.
N. Biren Singh stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP led State government in the State has taken up various initiatives for the development of the State since its formation in 2017.
He recalled that ‘One Family One Livelihood’ mission was launched to offer financial support to families, enabling them to establish their own enterprises and become self-reliant. Under the scheme, the maximum loan amount available is Rs. 10,00,000, which is collateral-free, thirty percent is provided as a grant, he added. He further maintained that the government is encouraging the youth to avail the opportunities of the government schemes to generate employment etc.
The Chief Minister said, under the Manipur State Credit Guarantee Scheme, around 2,575 entrepreneurs has benefited. Of the total fund allocation of around Rs. 700 crore, about Rs. 200 crore has been used so far, leaving Rs. 500 crore unutilized.
N. Biren Singh encouraged entrepreneurs to seize opportunities to enhance their businesses. He informed that seven successful start-ups in Manipur have created employment opportunities for around 300 internally displaced persons (IDPs), demonstrating the success of their enterprises. He further mentioned that the challenges faced by small enterprises are the lack of technical support and awareness.
To help in the economic revival of the State, the Chief Minister informed that a cell has been set up under the planning department particularly for agriculture and horticulture sectors, and acquired seasonal crops seeds of around Rs. 6 crore. He added, the distribution of additional seasonal crop seeds to farmers will boost the production.
He urged banks to disburse sanctioned loan amounts to enterprises promptly and advised borrowers to ensure timely repayment to avoid being prohibited from accessing future loans.Â
N. Biren said, Manipur has been spending huge amounts of money on the import of essential commodities such as eggs, fish etc. He elaborated that the state needs around 2 lakh eggs daily, costing over Rs. 10 lakhs. To meet the requirement, the government has sought assistance from the North Eastern Council (NEC) for the procurement of machinery.
As a part of the programme, a presentation on the RAMP and UNNATI schemes was delivered by resource persons.
The function was attended by the Ministers, MLAs, Administrative Secretaries, Head of Departments, Bankers, entrepreneurs, among others.
