Bengaluru, Oct 28 (KNN) In order to handhold the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) get themselves registered online with the MSME Data Bank, Karnataka Minister of SSI Ramesh L Jarkiholi launched a helpdesk at KASSIA here on Thursday.

Appreciating KASSIA’s initiative, the Jarkiholi noted that the efficacy of targeted Government Schemes required a robust engagement by Industry Associations like KASSIA, and added that on its part, the Government of Karnataka was fully committed to help in the cause.

Speaking on the occasion, KASSIA President A. Padmanabha said the Helpdesk, by handholding the MSMEs to fill in the online form with appropriate data, will play a major role in ensuring that the concessions, incentives and benefits available under various MSME Government Schemes would reach the right beneficiary without any hassles.

The Union Ministry of MSME has mandated that only those MSMEs which register in the MSME Data Bank with all prescribed details can avail of any benefits under Government Schemes, he added.

Interacting with a cross-section of MSME entrepreneurs including from outside Districts of Karnataka such as Belagavi, Harihar and Shivamogga, the Minister assured to follow up with the State Chief Minister on the long-standing demand of KASSIA for constituting a separate Department for MSME Sector which would help to resolve many specific issues involving the small industry in a time-bound manner.

Urging the small scale entrepreneurs to repose faith in the State’s policies, he reiterated that the State’s Start-up Policy was the first of its kind in the country, and Karnataka was also the number one State for investments from overseas as well as from within the country, which was a testimony of the work being done by the State Government.

Earlier, KASSIA presented a Memorandum to the SSI Minister which highlighted many pressing issues related to the State’s MSME sector, including replacing the allotment of industrial land on 99-year lease with 10-year lease cum sale option for MSMEs as before; reducing the pro rata water charges levied by BWSSB from Rs 300 per sq meter which was almost 20 times that charged by other States; formulating separate minimum wages structure for MSMEs; strict enforcement of public procurement and 15% price preference policy to be implemented by PSUs; creating a separate Infrastructure Fund for developing and maintaining infrastructure in KSSIDC/KIADB industrial estates; and introducing a separate industrial policy for MSMEs, among others.

H.M. Hemaji Nayak, IAS, MD, Shankar, GM, KSSIDC, Prakash, Additional Director, Lokesh, Joint Director, C & I Department responded to the various queries raised by the participants during the interaction which ended with a vote of thanks by R. Hanumanthe Gowda, vice-president, KASSIA. (KNN Bureau)