Govt to link flagship schemes for export oriented jobs

New Delhi, July 27 (UNI) Government today said it will link certain flagship Urban and Rural Development plans like the Rs 250 crore Swaran Jayanti Shahri Rojgar Yojna (SJSRY) and Rs 350 crore Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP) with export activities to generate incremental employment.

''We aim to work with the Self Help Groups (SHGs) to help them create an export market and develop partnerships within the existing funds like the Rs 1080 crore-Swaranjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY). The key areas of focus will be leather, handicrafts, handlooms, gems and jewellery, agriculture and shellack and minor-forest projects,'' Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh told reporters here.

''For the leather segment, we'll develop three projects in Bangalore, Agra and Kolkata co-funded by the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Urban Development and the Ministry of Rural Development by August-end. We aim to create an export market for the unorganised leather sector.'' There is another project on bell-metal work in Bastar jointly financed by the three ministries, he said.

Four SHG-funded projects on shellack and minor-forest products are to be developed in the tribal areas of West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand and AP, Mr Ramesh added.

The Commerce Ministry has asked various export promotion councils to prepare project reports, to be submitted by the end of August, in consultation with the state governments and district administrations.

''The project reports will be submitted at the end of August to go ahead with the various projects,'' he said, adding that the model replicated was one like the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).

Besides, the Commerce Ministry has decided to invest Rs 50 crore to make the proposed AEZs operational in 2006-07. ''There are 60 AEzs in the country but none of them have taken off. We plan to invest Rs 50 crore in 2006-07 to make them start operations in this fiscal.'' UNI PV SBA HS1905