Mumbai:
The commerce ministry has set up a Rs3,750-crore fund
for providing employment assistance to rural areas in
250 backward and poor districts in the country. The fund
will be used for granting annual assistance of Rs12 to
Rs13 crore beginning the current fiscal year, minister
of state for commerce and industry Jairam Ramesh said.
Speaking
at the inaugural function of a national convention on
women in trade, the minister said the selected districts,
mostly under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme,
would get the assistance in addition to the amount provided
under NREGS.
Apart
from providing assistance to 23 export promotion councils,
the funds will be used to extend financial support to
export units which generate employment opportunities,
the minister said, adding the emphasis would be on generating
employment while ensuring growth of the export sector.
"We
are also in touch with the urban development and rural
development ministries on how to integrate various employment
generating schemes so as to maximise the outcome,"
he also said.
The
minister said the India Brand Equity Fund has been asked
to initiate steps in marketing carpet industry of Uttar
Pradesh, tribal arts
of Orissa, embroidery and knitted goods of Andhra Pradesh
and handicraft sector in foreign markets. He added that
nearly 107 lakh people were working directly or indirectly
in the export sector and this is expected to reach 307
lakh in another five years.
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