Tamil Nadu has been doing fairly well in implementing the centrally-sponsored Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme, said D. Dhanapal, State Director, Khadi and Village Industries Commission, Chennai.
Talking to the media on the sidelines of the week-long State-level exhibition on PMEGP at S.R.T. Hall in Thillainagar on Wednesday, Mr. Dhanapal said the Centre for the current financial year, allotted a subsidy of Rs. 58 crore for setting up 5,000 units generating opportunities for 55,000 people.
“We have not only achieved the target, but have even exceeded them,” he said and added that an additional subsidy of Rs. 13 crore had been sanctioned. The KVIC would disburse the subsidy to the targeted entrepreneurs soon, Mr. Dhanapal said.
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Entrepreneurs had set up units for copra processing, hallow bricks in western Tamil Nadu, food processing in the central States. He said that despite potential, palm, and its by-products were not fully tapped.
Pointing out that there was a growing demand for the palm sugar, he suggested that the palm-based products and value-added products fetched higher profits. There was a growing demand for palm sugar being produced at the Central Palm Product Institute, Madhavaram in Chennai, Mr. Dhanapal said. He appealed the entrepreneurs to take up palm-pulp based industries on the lines of European markets.“A corporate approach is needed for developing palm-based products,” he said and added that the KVIC would impart training for production of palm sugar. Those interested could call 9445035787.
The exhibition aimed at providing an opportunity to the unemployed youth and members of self-help groups to understand the various products being marketed by the entrepreneurs who benefited under the PMEGP.
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Earlier, Jayashree Muralidharan, District Collector, inaugurated the exhibition.
S. Sivakumar, secretary of Tiruchi Sarvodaya Sangh, said about 35 entrepreneurs has set up stalls at the exhibition which would be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.