Chandigarh, May 13 (IANS): Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Wednesday expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for announcing a financial package of Rs 20 lakh crore for giving impetus to industrial growth, especially small, micro and medium enterprises (MSMEs), closed due to the nationwide lockdown.
The announcement is sure to rejuvenate the GDP after the second quarter of fiscal year 2020-21, he said in a statement.
The Deputy Chief Minister, who also holds the charge of the Department of Industry and Commerce, said MSMEs are the backbone of a country or a state's economy and the package announced by the Prime Minister would serve as a booster dose for industrial growth.
He said following the guidelines issued by the Union Home Ministry to revive these industries in a phased manner during the lockdown, most of the industries in the state had become operational.
He said in the fourth phase of nationwide lockdown which is expected to start from May 17 the government's priority would be that small, micro and medium enterprises start their operations and production as before.
He said it is mandatory for workers to download the Aarogya Setu app on their mobile phones and to follow the social distancing norms, including the use of masks, sanitization, etc.
Chautala said the MSME entrepreneurs should pay their workers salaries for the lockdown period, for which Haryana has taken an important decision according to which the interest benefit will be granted to MSMEs for six months on working capital loan for paying salaries to their workers up to Rs 20,000 per worker.
Haryana is the first state in the country to do so, he added.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that the state has set up a bank grievance information centre in the Finance Department for quick resolution of all the issues related to MSMEs and the decision to give state guarantee for bank loans to MSMEs has already been taken.
Chautala said state's new Enterprises Promotion Policy - 2020 is proposed to be prepared by August, for which suggestions will be taken from all stakeholders so that Haryana can formulate the country's most industry and business friendly policy.
The lockdown period will also be taken into consideration in the new industrial policy, he added.