Bhubaneswar: Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Giriraj Singh Thursday said that the state government is non-committal on the Centre’s proposal to develop each district of the state on the basis of local products.
The statement from the minister came at the inauguration of Regional SC/ST Entrepreneurship Conclave held here Thursday.
Giriraj said the Centre had been planning to promote clusters in the state in each district to promote well known products from the area. “We want to develop 30 clusters in each districts for a product that is the brand of the area like we have planned to promote turmeric from Kandhamal,” added Giriraj.
The minister said the Union MSME Secretary recently had a meeting with Odisha Chief Secretary to execute the plan, but there was hardly any support from the state which remained non-committal.
“Our MSME secretary apprised the Chief Secretary of the plan, but no commitment was given. We were told they also want to do such things that way, but I don’t know how and when they will do. If they can’t do that we can’t neglect it. The potential of the coast is still untapped,” Giriraj maintained.
Refuting the allegations, state MSME Additional Secretary LN Gupta said, “Around 16,000 people are involved in the MSME sector in the state. In Kandhamal cluster we are promoting turmeric through 51 primary societies and have employed 11,000 people there. The plan for cluster development is already there in the state.”
The minister also said that due to lack of employment people from the state are forced to migrate to states like Tamil Nadu, a point also echoed by the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan.
Pradhan said, “Half the exports of textiles in the country are made from Tirupur in Tamil Nadu and half the workers there are from Odisha. They are forced to work there as there is hardly any support for entrepreneurs in the state.”
The ministers also inaugurated the building of the National Small Industries Corporation at Mancheswar where entrepreneurs will get information, training and support from experts under one roof. Apparel design training would also be imparted to the entrepreneurs, Pradhan said.