Over half a million given jobs under REGP in 2005-06: Minister

New Delhi, Dec 13 (UNI) As many as 567,676 persons were given employment across the country during 2005-06 under the Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP), Small Scale Industry and Agro and Rural Industries Minister Mahabir Prasad said today.

Addressing the Consultative Committee meeting of his Ministries, he said the government was committed to generating as much employment as possible in the rural sector through the REGP and other centrally-sponsored schemes as envisaged in the National Common Minimum Programme.

Allaying the fears of the Committee members that small and medium enterprises might face closure in the era of globalisation and stiff competitiveness, Dr Prasad said globalisation would rather make such units viable and help them emerge stronger to face these challenges.

The Committee also discussed the achievements of three entrepreneurship development institutions-- the National Institute of Small Industry Extension Training (NISIET), Hyderabad, the National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), NOIDA, and the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), Guwahati.

Besides, the progress of REGP through the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) was also discussed.

The MPs who attended the meeting were Mr Sujan Chakraborty, Mr Sohan Potai, Mr S N Patle, and Dr K S Manoj (all Lok Sabha), and Dr Radhakant Nayak, Mr Vedprakash P Goel and Mr Moinul Hassan Ahamed (all Rajya Sabha).

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