Bhubaneswar, June 22 (KNN) The Ministry of MSME has awarded Odisha as the top state for its outstanding contribution towards the development and promotion of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector.

Bihar stood second in line followed by Haryana in the category of award given to states and union territories for development of MSME sector.

Virudhunagar district in Tamil Nadu secured the first prize in the category of the award to aspirational districts.

Karauli in Rajasthan received the second prize followed by Kalahandi in Odisha.

Commenting on the recognition for Odisha, State MSME minister Pratap Deb said that the MSME sector promotion and development, especially in backward regions has always been a top priority for the government.

He said the award is a recognition of the state’s efforts for growth of the MSME sector that generates maximum employment after agriculture.

In December 2020 the Odisha government had announced a financial package of Rs 290 crore to support battered MSMEs from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The state ensured that that their production and logistics are not hampered by the pandemic and pending dues of various MSMEs were also cleared by various state government departments on priority basis.  (KNN Bureau)