Guwahati, Jun 26 (KNN) Collateral free loan for 28,654 number of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) worth Rs. 738.44 crore have been sanctioned in the state of Assam till date under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

“The effort by general managers to link up the MSMEs with banks continues. The figure of sanctioned loan of Rs 738.44 crore for 28,654 numbers of MSMEs speaks for itself that Assam’s MSMEs have a good track of credit-deposit ratio and the status of their performance has been very encouraging,” said industries and commerce minister Chandra Mohan Patowary on Thursday.

“It is expected that more MSMEs will come forward to avail the scheme and boost the economy,” he added.

To put the economy back on track post COVID-19 induced national lockdown, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had interacted with the banking fraternity and had urged the public and private sector banks of the State to maximize credit flow to MSMEs.

The Chief Minister had also interacted with representatives of Central and State Government PSUs, industry and tea associations and other trade bodies. CM had further asked Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary to take adequate measures to ensure that Assam may play its expected role in realizing the vision of Prime Minister’s Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

Patowary had directed all the General Managers of District Industries and Commerce Centres to personally visit or call on the enterprises in their districts to address their issues, create awareness of the Atmanirbhar Bharat package and do necessary hand holding between the MSME units and banks so that the benefits can be availed by the MSME sector.

''All GMs of DICCs are directed to contact the bank officials and accelerate the sanctions under the stimulus package which is focussed on supporting MSMEs in these tough COVID-19 times,'' Patowary asserted.

In view of the situation arising due to COVID-19 pandemic and in order to boost the economy, the Prime Minister had announced the economic stimulus package Atmanirbhar BharatAbhiyan worth Rs 20 lakh crore.

Industries in Assam contribute 39 per cent to the State GDP and provide direct employment to approximately four lakh people and indirect employment to around 20 lakh people. There are more than 66,000 industries in the State, out of which 99.9 per cent industries are MSMEs.

Thus, the industrial sector of the State will be benefited from this announcement of this Abhiyan.