By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, August 30, 2018: Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday appealed Odisha government to go beyond politics for the state’s development and creation of job opportunities.

“I appeal to the state government to set politics aside and augment efforts being taken by the Central government in creating employment opportunities for the youth in Odisha,” Pradhan said addressing at the National Scheduled Caste- Scheduled Tribe (SC-ST) Hub (NSSH) Regional Conclave and Exhibition here.

The purpose of the conclave was to create awareness of schemes under NSSH like Special Marketing Assistance Scheme, Single Point Registrations Scheme in addition to disseminate information of central schemes like MUDRA, Stand-up India, CGTMSE, etc. It also aimed to share information on products/services that could be procured from SC/ST MSEs.

“Odisha has about 40% tribal and Dalit population. If we take the backward and poor people into account, 85% are living in rural areas. But for them, the biggest problem is unemployment. They are leaving their homes in search of jobs to other states,” he said.

NSSH launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become a mass movement in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector, Pradhan said adding that this initiative is a unique programme of grooming the SC-ST entrepreneurs who can create job opportunities for hundreds of youths.

The Minister said the common facility center set up in the new Integrated Marketing Development Centre, ‘Dharmapada Bhawan’ will impart quality skill training and provide information as well as guidance to aspiring SC-ST entrepreneurs.

Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram said that an MoU signed between the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) and SAP would provide a designed module to SC-ST entrepreneurs through advanced software.

Besides, an MOU between NSIC, Rourkela Steel Plant and National Scheduled Tribe Finance Development Corporation was signed for setting up of a Livelihood Business Incubator at Rourkela for transforming the tribal youth from “unemployed” to “self-employed” in different trades, thus creating more job opportunities in Odisha.

Oram advised young entrepreneurs to start new ventures to sell the minor forest produce and organic Agri products available in tribal-dominated districts.

Minister of State (Independent Charge) for MSME, Giriraj Singh said ‘one district one product’ scheme will be launched soon in Odisha.

He asked the ministry to conduct a survey of districts in the state on the potentials of starting new MSME units in aromatic, agro, marine food processing, organic food marketing, turmeric and ginger processing and other sections.

He said farmers of Kandhamal district will be taken to Maharashtra for a field visit to witness agro clusters in Maharashtra.

Singh also said 50,000 agro-entrepreneurs will be imparted training in Odisha.