New Delhi, Dec 7 (KNN) A MSME support and outreach programme was organized in Ludhiana, for apparel and handloom sector at the MSME Development Institute. 

The programme was organized by Ministry Of MSME, Development Institute (MSME-DI), Ludhiana, for enhancing the productivity and competitiveness as well as capacity building of the MSMEs and their collectives in the country.

Since the digital portal of granting Rs. 1crore loan in 59mins was launched, around 343 applicants have been sanctioned a loan amount Rs.9,919 crore while loan amount of Rs.9.18 crore has been disbursed to more than 130 applicants, said Nisar Ahmad Khan, Deputy lead district manager, Punjab and Sind Bank.

“We have been reaching out to the MSME units to not only promote the loan portal but also to guide the traders about several existing schemes for MSMEs,” said Khan.

Khan said that the scheme is gradually being acknowledged by the traders in the city.

The session included a briefing on the cluster development scheme launched by the Union ministry of MSMEs.

The traders were also briefed about the monetary benefits and claims for the employees of an MSME unit under the Employees' State Insurance (ESI) scheme.

“The ESI scheme is an integrated measure of social insurance embodied in the Employees' State Insurance Act and it is designed to accomplish the task of protecting employees as defined in the ESI Act, 1948, against the impact of incidences of sickness, maternity, disablement and death due to employment injury and to provide medical care to insured persons and their families,” Ashwani from the regional office of ESI Corporation said,

The officials from different banks, directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT), Employees’ State Insurance Corporation, and District Industries Centre, briefed the entrepreneurs about different schemes of the government dedicated for the MSME units.