Timely redressal of issues concerning MSME sector least priority for Govt

Constituted over one year back, Advisory Board fails to meet even once
No effective coordination between different agencies

Mohinder Verma

JAMMU, Dec 2: Ensuring timely redressal of the issues concerning Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector and effective coordination between different agencies of Jammu and Kashmir and Government of India has remained least priority for the State Government although much is being said about giving necessary impetus to this important pillar of the economy.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that vide Government Order No.190-IND dated August 1, 2017, State Level Advisory Board was constituted for ensuring effective coordination between different agencies responsible for development of the MSME sector in Jammu and Kashmir State.
Administrative Secretary to State Government, Industries and Commerce Department was made Chairman of the Advisory Board while as Director of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Institute was made its Member Secretary.
Several officers of the State Government like Commissioner Commercial Taxes, Labour Commissioner, Directors of Industries, Managing Directors of SIDCO and SICOP, Director Technical Education, Managing Director SC/ST Corporation and Director Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneur Development Institute were appointed as Members of the Board.
Even several Central Government representatives, financial institutions, Presidents of Federation Chamber of Industry Jammu/Kashmir, Chairman of Confederation of India Industry and President Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry were made Members of the Board.
However, despite lapse of over one year the State Level Advisory Board has not met even once thereby defeating the objectives behind its constitution by the State Government, sources said, adding “it seems that the seriousness towards giving much needed impetus to the MSME sector in the State by timely resolving all issues and ensuring effective coordination between different agencies was confined to establishment of Advisory Board otherwise at least one meeting of the Board should have been convened till date”.
This is notwithstanding the fact that as per the order whereby it was established the Board was supposed to meet on quarterly basis after obtaining points from all the members.
“We have never been approached by the State Government for convening any meeting of the Board although this platform has much importance in view of the task assigned to it”, said an officer of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Institute (MSME DI) on the condition of anonymity.
In response to a question, he said, “we have brought this issue to the notice of our new Director Mandeep Kour, who is Member Secretary of the Board, and she will take up the matter with the concerned authorities of the Industries and Commerce Department shortly”.
Replying to another question, the officer said, “MSME sector has received due attention under Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) as such State Level Advisory Board assumes more importance for being the major platform to resolve the issues”.
The importance of the Board can be gauged from the fact that it has been assigned the task of advising on all possible issues concerning Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises sector such as functioning of District Industries Centres (DICs), MSME Development Institute and various industrial promotion and autonomous bodies, functioning of State Khadi Village and Industries Board (KVIB), implementation of various Central Schemes such as Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), NPRI and Monitoring of Credit Flow etc.
“Moreover, the Board is supposed to act as a link between the industry, academic and industrial professionals for effective discourse regarding future industry and professional needs”, sources said, adding “the Board is also required to explore ways and means to sponsor and organize various interactive sessions, conferences and seminars to deliberate upon various relevant issues for continuous improvement of MSME sector and to meet industry needs”.
Even task of identifying and recommending important action points pertaining to various Government departments and agencies related with industry and businesses for ensuring Ease of Doing Business in the State in tune with the National and State Industrial Policy has been assigned to the Board.
“How the Government can ignore a platform which has been assigned such multifarious duties”? sources wondered.

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