(a) the total number of persons employed in agro, rural, cottage and small scale
industries separately, State-wise; and
(b) the incentives given/being given by the Government to promote these industries
and to encourage the rural people to increase their production and marketing their produce?
MINISTER OF MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
(SHRI VIRBHADRA SINGH)
(a): As per the 4th all India census of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), about
595.66 lakh persons are employed in the MSME sector, which includes agro, rural, cottage
and small-scale industries. The State-wise employment created under erstwhile Rural Employment
Generation Programme (REGP) from 1994-95 to 2007-08 and under the on-going Prime Minister’s
Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) during 2008-09 to 2010-11 is given at Annex I.
(b): Government in the Ministry of MSME has been supplementing the efforts of the State
Governments to promote agro, rural and cottage industries in the country through various
schemes. In particular, Government has introduced the PMEGP since 2008-09 as a credit-linked
subsidy-based programme for providing margin money assistance for setting-up of micro-
enterprises in the non-farm sector. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and Coir
Board also actively organize exhibitions of khadi and village industries products and of coir
products from time to time, besides providing marketing opportunities to the units through
their departmental sales outlets.