New Delhi, Sep 22 (KNN) Following the budget announcement by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and having notified the establishment of National SC/ST Hub, the first meeting of its high-powered monitoring committee has been convened under the Chairmanship of Union Minister of MSME Kalraj Mishra. 

The National SC/ST hub is being implemented as a project / scheme and has been housed in NSIC. An allocation of Rs. 490 crore has already been in this regard.

Flanked by the Ministers of State Giriraj Singh and Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary, MSME Minister Mishra said that while many schemes are being run for SC/ST through different Ministries and departments, the SC/ST hub would help focus on access to markets and finance and also coordinate with other central and state agencies.  

The high-powered committee discussed the broad action plan for the hub and cleared schemes for enhancing the subsidy for Marketing Assistance Scheme, Single point registration and credit rating. 

“Now 90% of cost of participation in trade fairs will be reimbursed to SC/ST entrepreneurs,” said an official from the Ministry.   

Besides  representation from NITI Aayog,  Department of Social justice & empowerment, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the high-powered monitoring committee  comprises of major associations such as CII, FICCI, FISME and DICCI.

During the meeting, FSIME Secretary General Anil Bhardwaj said, “There is a need to stay focussed on the core/ primary objective of setting up of the hub which is to enhance participation of SC/ST entrepreneurs in public procurement to redeem the promise of 4% earmarked for SC/ST MSEs in public procurement”.

“We need to work not only at the supply side- at entrepreneur level, but also at the demand side – at the level of government procurement agencies,” he added.   

The public procurement policy for MSEs notified by Ministry of MSME  mandates that 20% of all central government procurement be done from MSEs. Further, 20% of 20% of the procurement, that is 4%, should be done from SC/ST entrepreneurs. 

Currently, the quantum of supplies made by SC/ST entrepreneurs to central government agencies is less than 0.5% against the target of 4%. (KNN/ AB)