Odisha
June 22, 2022

Odisha has been selected as the best state for its outstanding contribution to the promotion and development of the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector as the Centre has announced in various categories.
According to an official communication issued by the MSME ministry, Odisha secured first prize in the category of awards given to states and union territories for the development of the MSME sector. While Bihar bagged second prize, Haryana stood third. In the category of the award to aspirational districts, Kalahandi secured third prize in promotion and development of the MSME sector as Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu and Karauli in Rajasthan bagged first and second prize respectively.
State MSME minister Pratap Deb said as the sector contributes significantly to value addition, employment generation, and overall growth of the state’s economy, the government has always given top priority to its promotion and development, especially in backward regions. He said the award is a recognition of the state’s efforts for the growth of the MSME sector that generates maximum employment after agriculture.
As the MSME sector had borne the burnt of Covid, the state in December 2020 had announced a financial package of Rs 290 crore to tide over the crisis. With a proper procurement policy that mandates procurement of certain products from MSMEs, the state had also made sure that their production and logistics are not hampered by the pandemic. The pending dues of various MSMEs were also cleared by various state government departments on a priority basis.
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