(a) whether traditional rural professions like weaving, spinning, blacksmithing, carpentry, oil crushing are vanishing gradually in the country leading to migration of youths to towns and cities;
(b) if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;
(c) whether the Government proposes to formulate any scheme to check the migration of unemployed youths by creating more employment opportunities; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
(SHRI NITIN GADKARI)
(a): No Sir.
(b): Does not arise.
(c)&(d): Government is implementing the following scheme/programme to generate employment for unemployed youth including traditional artisans like spinners, weavers, blacksmiths, carpenters, potters, beekeepers, leather artisans etc. in the country through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and Coir Board, thereby curbing the migration of unemployed youths:
(i) Khadi Vikas Yojana is implemented by KVIC to develop the Khadi programme in the country and to generate employment opportunities to the artisans viz. spinners, weavers and other artisans by providing assistance under following components:
Modified Market Development Assistance (MMDA) is provided to the Khadi Institutions and Khadi Artisans; Interest Subsidy to eligible Khadi Institutions under Interest Subsidy Eligibility Certificate (ISEC) Scheme to ensure availability of working capital to Khadi Institutions; Work-sheds for providing sufficient space and congenial environment to Khadi Artisans; assistance to Strengthening of Weak Khadi Institutions; assistance for Modernization of Sales Outlets of Khadi Institutions.
(ii) Gramodyog Vikas Yojana: For the development of Village Industries the KVIC impart training under various disciplines like Bee-keeping, Pottery, Leather Craft, Rural Engineering, Carpentry, etc. To enhance the income of Traditional Artisans engaged in the village industries activities for which KVIC provides skill development training, tools and equipment, and also marketing support. Under Gramodyog Vikas Yojana, KVIC mainly focus on the following Industries:
i. Honey & Beekeeping: KVIC has started beekeeping programme under Honey Mission in the mid of 2017-18. Under this programme, 10 bee-boxes with live bee-colonies are provided to each trained entrepreneurs.
ii. Kumhar Sashaktikaran Programme: Under this scheme, initiatives have been taken to uplift the lives of the rural pottery artisans by providing skill upgradation training and providing new home scale energy efficient equipment like Electric Pottery Wheels, Blungers, etc. for producing good quality of products.
iii. Leather Craft Artisan Empowerment of Programme: In order to arrest migration of the artisans from the Traditional Leather Art and Crafts to other urban jobs, KVIC has taken the initiatives to upgrade their skills and to provide tools and equipment to enhance their earnings.
The increasing trend of employment generation during last three years is as follows:
<pre>
Year Cumulative Employment (in lakh persons)
Khadi Village Industries Total
2017-18 4.65 135.71 140.36
2018-19 4.96 142.03 146.99
2019-20 4.97 147.76 152.73
</pre>
(iii) Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) is a credit linked subsidy scheme, for setting up of new micro-enterprises and to generate employment opportunities in rural as well as urban areas of the country through KVIC, State Khadi & Village Industries Boards (KVIBs) and District Industries Centres (DICs). General category beneficiaries can avail of margin money subsidy of 25% of the project cost in rural areas and 15% in urban areas. For beneficiaries belonging to special categories such as SC/ST/Women/ PH/ Minorities/ Ex-Servicemen/NER, the margin money subsidy is 35% in rural areas and 25% in urban areas. The maximum cost of projects is Rs.25 lakh in the manufacturing sector and Rs.10 lakh in the service sector.
During the period from 2014-15 to 2020-21 (as on 31.01.2021), 374931 micro units (80% in rural areas) have been assisted with margin money of Rs.10036.47 crore, generating estimated employment opportunities for 30 lakh persons.
(iv) Coir Board is implementing the Coir Vikas Yojana to cater to the multiple developmental needs of coir industry. Interventions under the following components of the Scheme are taken up during the period from 2017-18 to 2019-20.
1. Skill Upgradation and Mahila Coir Yojana (MCY)
2. Coir Industry Technology Upgradation Scheme (CITUS)
3. Export Market Promotion (EMP)
4. Domestic Market Promotion (DMP)
5. Trade and Industry Related Functional Support Services (TIRFSS)
6. Welfare Measures (Group Personal Accident Insurance Scheme)
7. Science & Technology
(v) Under Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI), traditional artisans, including those from weaving, spinning, blacksmithy, carpentry and other professions, are organized into clusters, to make them more productive and competitive. The Scheme envisages providing need-based assistance for replacement of production equipment, setting up of Common Facility Centres (CFCs), product development, quality improvement, improved marketing, training and capacity building, etc. Under this scheme, traditional industries clusters are developed.
As on 15.3.2021, 394 numbers of clusters have been approved under the scheme that will benefit more than 2.32 lakh artisans with a total Government assistance of about Rs.970.28 crore These clusters are spread all over the country covering 287 districts. 93 of these clusters have been implemented as per the timelines envisaged in the guidelines of the scheme.