TECHNOLOGY INTERVENTION ESSENTIAL
TO IMPROVE RURAL PRODUCTIVITY
NATIONAL
CONVENTION ON RURAL INDUSTRIALISATION INAUGURATED
The rural sector
holds the key to our future growth efforts. It is the home to
70 per cent of our people and nearly 80 per cent of our poor.
Thus rural sector offers the greatest potential for wide spread
development and employment generation. This was stated by the
Minister of State for Agro and Rural Industries, Shri Sangh Priya
Gautam at the National Convention on ‘Rural Industrialisation’,
which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee
here today, He said that in the present scenario of globalisation
and competitiveness, technological intervention is essential to
improve rural productivity and to widen the range of products
and make them domestically and globally saleable, he said. The
Minister said that his Ministry of Agro and Rural Industries has
been the pioneer taking upon itself the responsibility of developing
traditional village industries as well as promoting new type of
activities for economic self-reliance of villages by implementing
various schemes to promote rural industrialisation.
Shri Gautam said
that the Government has launched Rural Employment Generation Programme
(REGP), through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).
Under this scheme, 2,75,000 villages have already been covered
and over 57 lakhs employment were generated. Highlighting the
contribution of KVIC in growth of national economy through enhanced
economic activities at the rural levels, the Minister said that
KVIC have the in-built potential to meet third national requirement
of employment generation on a large scale in rural areas with
less capital costs. He said that under the Prime Minister’s Rojgar
Yojna (PMRY) scheme, 25 lakh employment were generated and six
lakh employment were also provided in Coir sector with 80 per
cent women beneficiaries.
Speaking on the occasion,
Chairman, KVIC, Dr. Mahesh Sharma said that during the last five
years, KVIC has set up 52,000 new rural industrial units and generated
16 lakhs new employment. Secretary, Ministry of of Agro and Rural
Industries, Shri S.K.Tuteja has said that the special package,
which was announced by the Government for the development of Khadi
and Village Industries, is under implementation and showing encouraging
results.
On the occasion,
awards for excellence were given to the best KVI institution,
best artisans, best boards, best bankers and best REGP units in
recognition of their performance and contribution in the sector.
The other areas to
be emphasized during the three-day Convention include Khadi, Science
and Technology, Marketing, Artisan Upliftment and Transparency,
simplification in delivery process by KVIC. Delegates from various
sectors like Khadi Institutions, RBI, NABARD, SIDBI, IDBI etc.,
besides Ministers and Secretaries in-charge of KVI programme in
the States as well as Central Government Departments like Planning
Commission, Ministry of A&RI, Ministry of SSI, Ministry of
Finance, Ministry of Rural Development and Ministry of Human Resource
Development.
