(a) whether the Government is implementing any scheme to set up enterprises for the welfare of poor people belonging to scheduled caste category;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the total number of schemes implemented by the Government for the welfare of the poor belonging to SC category during the last two years and the current year?
MINISTER OF MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
(SHRI NITIN GADKARI)
(a) to (c): The Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) is continuously making efforts to promote MSMEs including units belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) beneficiaries through its various schemes aimed at providing credit support for new enterprise creation and expansion, technological assistance and upgradation, infrastructure development, skill development and training, enhancing competitiveness and market assistance of MSMEs.
Further with a view to adopt a focused approach for developing entrepreneurship culture amongst SC/ST population, National Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Hub (NSSH) was launched in October, 2016. NSSH provides professional support to SC/ST entrepreneurs to capacity build them to participate in public procurement process. Since inception of NSSH, there has been almost ten fold increase in public procurement from Rs. 59.3 crore in FY 2015-16 to Rs. 534 crore in FY 2020-21*. Also more than 65000 SC/ST entrepreneurs have been assisted under various interventions of NSSH.
Besides, under the Prime Minister''s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) of the Ministry, subsidy upto 35% of the total project cost is provided to SC entrepreneurs for setting up of new micro units. The maximum project cost under the scheme is 25 lakh in manufacturing sector and 10 lakh in service sector. The detail of SC beneficiaries during the last two years and current year is as under:-
<pre>
Year No. of units assisted Margin Money disbursed for SC
(Rs. in lakh)
2018-19 8683 19906.09
2019-20 7759 17749.72
2020-21* 5080 12206.00
</pre> * Upto Feb. 2021