Question : SELF EMPLOYMENT SCHEME FOR THE POOR

(a) whether the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has launched schemes for providing self employment to the Handicapped, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Minorities, Backward and the poor people living below the poverty line in the country;

(b) if so, the details of such schemes and the number of families benefited under the schemes during each of the last three years, State-wise including West Bengal;

(c) whether the KVIC proposes to chalk out any other new comprehensive scheme for the poor people living below poverty line in the country; and

(d) if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SHRI DINSHA PATEL)

(a) to (d): A statement is placed on the table of the Sabha.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN ANSWER TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 57 FOR ANSWER ON 07.07.2009.

(a) & (b): The Government (in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises), through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), had been implementing a Central Sector credit- linked subsidy scheme, called the Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP) from 01.04.1995 to 31.03.2008, in the rural areas and small towns with population up to 20,000. Under this Programme, eligible entrepreneurs were assisted in establishing village industries, by availing of loans from public sector scheduled commercial banks, selected Regional Rural Banks, cooperative banks, etc., and also margin money assistance (subsidy) from the KVIC, for projects with a maximum cost upto Rs. 25 lakh. Entrepreneurs belonging to the categories of scheduled castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), other backward classes (OBC), physically handicapped, ex-servicemen, women, etc., were entitled to higher margin money assistance.

REGP has been implemented till 31.03.2008. A new scheme titled ‘Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP)’ was approved in August 2008 by merging the existing REGP and Pradhan Mantri Rozgar Yojana (PMRY) of this Ministry which is a significant initiative and more attractive and useful than both the above schemes. The permissible margin money assistance provides under PMEGP is as under:

Categories of	Beneficiary’s	Rate of Subsidy
beneficiaries	Contribution	(of project cost)
under PMEGP	(of project cost)

Area (location of project/unit)	Urban	Rural

General Category	10%	15%	25%

Special Category	05%	25%	35%
(including SC/ST
/OBC/Minorities/
Women, Ex-servicemen,
Physically handicapped,
NER, Hill and Border
areas etc.)