Bihar Aims To Uplift 94 Lakh Families With Entrepreneurship, Self-Employment Fund

The Bihar Cabinet has sanctioned financial aid of INR 2 lakh for nearly 94 lakh families with a monthly income of INR 6,000 or less, endorsing entrepreneurship and self-employment through the Bihar Small Entrepreneur Scheme. The decision is based on a caste-based survey report, revealing that 94,33,312 families in Bihar fall within this income bracket. The approval process for financial assistance will be overseen by a committee led by the additional chief secretary of the Industries department.

Beneficiaries of the Bihar Small Entrepreneur Scheme can invest in various small-scale and cottage industries, such as handicrafts, textiles, service sectors, and electrical items. The allocated amount will be disbursed in installments, facilitating the development of entrepreneurial initiatives among eligible families.

Compensation For Unorganized Sector Workers

In addition to the entrepreneurship support, the Cabinet has augmented compensation for laborers engaged in unorganized sectors, particularly in cases of death and disability. In the event of unnatural or accidental death, the compensation has been raised from INR 1 lakh to INR 2 lakh.

Similarly, for permanent disability, the compensation has been increased from INR 75,000 to INR 1 lakh. In cases of natural death of a laborer, their family members will now receive INR 50,000 in financial assistance. The adjustments aim to provide enhanced financial security to workers in the unorganized sector and their families.

Bihar Leads With Most ZED-Certified MSMEs

In September of last year, Bihar emerged as the leading state in the nation in terms of the highest number of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) securing Zero Defect Zero Effect (ZED) certification from the Union government. The ZED certification was granted to 3,256 units in the state out of the 26,277 certified units nationwide, for meeting specific environmental and quality standards.

Pankaj Dixit, Director (Industries) of the State Industry Department, highlighted the role of their field team in regularly monitoring industrial units to ensure ZED certification. Assistance and training from the Quality Council of India have been instrumental in achieving this milestone. Dixit noted a substantial increase in registered units, rising from 84 in the last financial year to over 3,000 currently.

Three Levels Of ZED Certification

ZED certification evaluates industrial units based on 20 different quality and environmental parameters, including aspects like waste management, production capacity enhancement, machine standards, and staff safety. The objective of the scheme is to encourage manufacturing units to produce goods with minimal defects and limited environmental impact.

ZED certifications are distributed across three levels: bronze, silver, and gold. The state has 3,223 units certified at the bronze level, 19 at the silver level, and 15 at the gold level, reflecting varying degrees of fulfillment of the specified parameters.