Pune, July 14 (KNN) The Government’s idea of setting up a national hub for providing professional support to SC/ST entrepreneurs via  a cell set up under National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) does not excite Dalit India Chamber Of Commerce and Industry(DICCI) much. This body rather prefers a separate full-fledged statutory body with full power and authority to empower the Dalit entrepreneurs and not a mere cell in NSIC.

 In a meeting chaired by the CEO of NITI Aayog, the modalities regarding setting up of National SC / ST Hub were finalized. As per the decision taken by the PMO and the MSME Ministry this SC/ST hub  is being set up as a Cell in NSIC with a budget provision of approx. 500 crores.

But all this was way apart from the kind of hub DICCI expected. Talking on these lines to KNN, Milind Kamble, Chairman, DICCI, said, “We as an organization have our concerns with the decision of MSME Ministry and NITI Aayog coming up with a SC/ST hub within NSIC itself. We expected setting up of a separate corporation in a PPP(Public Pvt Parnership) mode which would have its own statutory powers thus, serving as a support system.”

“A mere department set up in MSME Ministry’s NSIC will not at all serve its purpose. MSME Secretary had in fact called the meeting to discuss the issue wherein all the stakeholders collectively had already presented their proposal through CII and DICCI about the setup of a corporation in the PPP mode,” Kamble explained.

With regard to ‘Standup India’ initiative Kamble, however, opined that “ ‘Standupmitra.in’ is a very interactive portal, well designed and loaded with information. Standup India via such and intelligently designed portal is expected to achieve 100% success. In a span of three years, this initiative will definitely create 1.50 Lakh SC/ST enterpreneurs and 1.25 Lakh women Entrepreneurs and is monitored well by PMO, Finance Ministry, SIDBI, NABARD”.

DICCI however expects an urgent intervention of MSME ministry and PMO with regard to its decisions on SC/ST hub. (KNN/ GK)