Mumbai, May 8 (KNN) Representatives of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and their workforce in Maharashtra have threatened to opt for NOTA (None Of The Above) in the upcoming general elections.

This move is a protest against the government's lack of action on their demand for establishing a separate secretariat to address issues faced by MSMEs related to promotion and infrastructure support, reported TOI.

Maharashtra has the highest number of small and medium entrepreneurs in the country. Chandrakant Salunkhe, Founder President of the SME Chamber of India and Maharashtra Industries Development Association, stated that their members will exercise the NOTA option in the remaining phases of the Lok Sabha elections.

This decision comes after repeated appeals to the chief minister, industry minister, and state and union secretaries have failed to yield a positive response, he noted.

Salunkhe highlighted that following a meeting in June 2023 chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and attended by Union Minister for Micro and Small Scale Industries Narayan Rane, the demand for separate departments for small and medium enterprises has been consistently pursued. However, the government officials have remained indifferent, leading to growing discontent among MSME representatives.

The SME Chamber of India represents 25 lakh members nationally, with around 6.5 lakh members in Maharashtra. The MSME sector is a crucial component of the state's economy, and their grievances regarding inadequate promotional and infrastructural support have escalated to the point of considering the NOTA option as a form of protest.

(KNN Bureau)